Designer makes cut in dress competition

Last month Leon Sockbeson II of Pleasant Point sent a design sketch for a dress to the renowned designer Adrianna Papell, with the dream of seeing his design come alive on the Red Carpet and worn by a celebrity in Hollywood. The sketch was for the coast-to-coast design contest called "Adrianna Papell for E! Live from the Red Carpet," a highly competitive opportunity for young designers to enter their best work to one of the biggest names in the fashion industry. Out of 676 entries, 25 were chosen by online popular vote. Sockbeson's was one of them.
A panel of professional designers will select five designs from the top 25, which will then be put before another online vote to determine the winning design. The winner will be made into a dress for "E! Live's Red Carpet" collection. In addition, the creator of the winning design will receive a trip to Hollywood and a $2,500 cash prize, and the dress will be produced and sold under Adrianna Papell's label for retail.
Sockbeson began designing when his mother taught him to sew when he was in the eighth grade. His first design was a black dress for his friend. He went on to study at the Parson's School for Design in New York but returned home because of financial issues. He then enrolled in the liberal arts program at Washington County Community College and also studied privately with a former professor from Otis College of Art and Design.
"For me, it's about artwork, making a woman beautiful," he says. "You have to dedicate a lot of time to making the dress look nice and fit right."
Sockbeson also cites his Passamaquoddy heritage as one of the influences of his work. He learned traditional free-hand beadwork from his aunt, and he has gone on to incorporate beadwork into his designs. He recently created a collection, including dresses, daywear and jewelry, of Passamaquoddy-inspired clothing for a special exhibit of contemporary Native American art at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, on display until May 2012.
His work, under the label LEON, is elegant and modern yet has clear connections to Native American culture. One piece, a white wool skirt, is decked with golden beadwork designs in a double-curved motif typical of the petroglyphs of northeastern woodland tribes. The collection also includes a grey strapless gown, a pointed woolen hat, and a necklace, bracelet and pair of earrings made of blue and white wampum beads.
In the future, Sockbeson hopes to expand his collection into a complete line of Passamaquoddy couture.
The top five designs for the Adrianna Papell for "E! Live from the Red Carpet" design contest will be announced later in December.