Instant Vintage Designs

SEW COOL: Instant Vintage keeps bombshells in stitches
By MITZI GORDON

Before launching her own clothing line, designer Anna Coleman was already turning heads with her handmade vintage-inspired pieces.

"I kept getting stopped on the street by people who would ask me, 'Where did you get that?'" said Coleman, who regularly wears her creations.

Now, fashion devotees can request custom pieces from Coleman's new label, Instant Vintage, launched earlier this month.

The Instant Vintage website (www.instantvintagedesigns.com) features a fresh yet classically styled collection of tops, skirts and dresses with retro flair. Information on boutique sales and mass production opportunities can also be found there.

"You know how hard it is to find clothing," Coleman said. "Nothing ever fits in the right spot. I want clothes to fit me very well, and I want to wear something unusual."

Coleman, of Seminole Heights, started making her own garments about four years ago.

But as a little girl, she was already whipping up Barbie outfits and furniture. Her mother and grandmother taught her to sew by hand.

"I'm such a hippie at heart," Coleman said. "If I can't afford something, I'll make it somehow."

She studied fashion merchandising in Virginia before coming to Tampa almost a decade ago to earn a degree in architecture and construction.

While working full-time for an Ybor City architecture firm, Coleman dedicates all her spare moments to making Instant Vintage grow. "I've always been very hands-on with everything," she said.

During trips to London and Hong Kong in spring, Coleman received positive responses and inquiries about her outfits. It motivated her to take steps forward with the Web site.

She plans to hold a Tampa launch event for her new line in early November at Neo Trash, 1515 E. 7th Ave. Price points on the designs will range from approximately $80 to $230.

"I'm going to be sewing until my fingers bleed," Coleman said, adding that she might one day enlist production help from fashion students or interns.

In the meantime, she just looks forward to seeing what happens next.

"You finally get a point where you know what your passion is," she said.

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