Annie Vazquez guest blogs on fashion for Cultist. Visit her blog at TheFashionPoet.com.
If there is one dress every gal needs in their closet, it's the wrap dress. Whether you got a big booty, porno sized breasts or a belly from inhaling too many guava pastelitos, this frock is form flattering on any chica. The best thing about it, it's saintly enough to rock to a Baptism and sexy enough to don on a date. While Diane von Furstenberg may be the queen of wrap dresses, let's face it, dishing out $400 for a dress isn't in everybody's budget. Yet, thanks to designers like Peruvian transplant Danittza Zimic, Miami gals can now get them on the cheap.
Zimic, 31, launched her first wrap dresses under her Mittmi label three years ago and earned herself a local following from them. Today she's back with her 70s Sophisticated Glam Collection which is all about channeling the glitz of that era. In it, there are a total of seven wraps made with vintage looking prints retailing for $129. All are named after influential and inspirational women from the decade such as Bianca Jagger, Farrah Fawcett, Billie Jean King, Cher, Lynda Carter, Carly Simon and Gloria Steinem.
New Times: What inspired you to start designing wrap dresses three years ago?
Danittza Zimic: I love the form flattering style especially for my body type which is curvy.
Diane Von Furstenberg is the woman who made wrap dresses fashionable
back in the '70s. Do you feel like your copying her style and has anyone
ever said you were?
My wraps have been compared to her's plenty of times. To be honest with
you, I wouldn't want to copy her. I think she is fabulous. Her original
idea is there, I just made a few changes. My wrap dresses are made out
of polyester and are machine washable whereas her's are silk and require
dry cleaning. Her wraps literally wrap around your body, but mine
don't. My dresses are cut to look like a wrap, but actually you slip
them over your head and tie the belt. A lot of women like this better
because you don't have to worry about the belt untying.
So tell me about your new collection of wrap dresses. How are these
different from the ones your originally launched three years ago?
These wrap dresses are special because I used vintage inspired prints.
The others were just pretty prints like flowers and stripes that I
thought would look good on a dress. This new collection is more symbolic
because I want women to feel empowered when they wear it by remembering
the powerful women of that era that paved the way for us.
What's up with naming your dresses after stars from the' 70s like Billie Jean King and Farrah Fawcett?
Since I was using '70s inspired prints I wanted to make the collection
more cohesive and meaningful so I researched powerful women that made
significant contributions or a name for themselves during that era.
Speaking of celebs, have any worn your dresses?
Singer Mya and Teresa Guidice from the Real Housewives of New Jersey
have worn my other dresses. These I just launched a few weeks ago so
there just getting exposure now.
Where are the dresses sold?
My Best Friend's Closet and my web site.
Your company is called Mittmi which is an unusual name. Does it mean something?
Yes, it's a play on words. It really means "meet me." Like fashion and
one's personal style coming together to meet. It's a fun name.
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