Fashionista makes dreams come true

Red Ant making her fashionable dreams come true  Kelly Lewis  By KELLY LEWIS

weekendplus@tucsoncitizen.com Rachel Woodward knows what it's like to work toward a dream. Spending much of her childhood traveling renaissance fairs throughout the country, the 29-year-old local fashionista has long-since had a goal to create a modern clothing company from medieval fashions. With The Red Ant opening this weekend at 222 E. Congress, Woodward's dream materializes, taking the form of hooded bodices and crocheted purses. "At a very young age, I took a liking to dressing my own dolls," Woodward says in a recent phone interview. "My mom started making bags that she would sell at renaissance fairs and as I went with her I was influenced constantly by the different fashions." Since a typical renaissance fair boasts a variety of clothing styles, from tribal Tibetan to traditional English costumes of royalty, Woodward was constantly alerted to new ways of re-creating older fashions. "I started to realize that if you can take the past and push it into the future, you have modern-day clothing," she says. Now with a collection with a range from "A Clockwork Orange" to "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Woodward says she is proud to display her collection to the world . . . or, at least, to downtown Tucson. "I have English-style bodices that have hoods and do corseting that is very Victorian as outerwear," Woodward says of her fashions. "All of the different eras that I saw at fairs have influenced me in terms of different styles and cuts and have become a part of an eclectic collection that I have in my store." The grand opening is Saturday and will feature dancers on pedestals and fire spinners, in addition to her wide variety of handmade clothing. "This is just the natural evolution of growing up in fairs," Woodward says. "In taking the next step and opening a store, I am taking everything I've learned to the next level." A former student of the Tucson Design College, Woodward has arranged for TDC students to intern at The Red Ant, working for academic credit while displaying and selling their clothing. "At one time I was what you would call a fair brat," Woodward says. "Now I am part of the next generation in wanting to have stability and foundation." From knickers to industrial clothing, Red Ant fashions, priced from $15 to $300, are designed for both men and women, creating a little something for everyone. IF YOU GO What: The Red Ant grand opening Where: 222 E. Congress St. When: doors open at 8 p.m. Saturday Price: free Info: 623-7566 Details: features balloon twisters, clowns, dancers on pedestals and live mannequins modeling in the windows; hors d'oeuvres; bands play at 9 and 11 p.m., with DJs spinning in between. Store hours: beginning Feb. 18, 10 a.m.-midnight Sundays-Wednesdays; 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Thursdays-Saturdays RED ANT PRICES › Styles for both men and women fingerless mittens: $15 bikini tops, some crocheted: $15-$25 bodices: $45-$95 feathered wings: $95 grommeted suspenders: $15-20 skirts, jackets; some crocheted: $100- $200 antique fishnet panties: $15-$25 hair pieces: $35- $55 hats, some crocheted: $10- $35 ·