Murfreesboro artist and designer Liz Kelly Zook premieres her new line of apparel, “Unparalelled,” this month. Zook says the collection was inspired by how she felt trying on a skirt she had made.
“I made this skirt on an impulse without a pattern or any idea of what I was doing (which is not important). What is important,” said Zook, “is the feeling that I got when I put the skirt on. I can’t quite describe it. I imagine it to be something similar to what a woman feels like when she tries on her wedding dress, except with the knowledge that I could wear it whenever I wanted to. I was blown away. “The more I enjoyed it,” she said, “the more I wondered if everyone had something that made them feel as good as I felt in this skirt.”
And so Unparalelled was born.
When Zook was 6 years old, her grandmother, whose mother was a seamstress with her own shop in downtown Kansas City in the ’20s, sat her down at a sewing machine.
“With a very patient, guiding hand, my grandmother taught me how to slowly press the pedal with my foot and ease the fabric under the needle. I’ve been sewing in some capacity ever since. I was amazed by the entire process; from the first cut of fabric to the finished product. Even in college, I was a theater major, but my favorite part of the day was being in the costume shop, where I had a working scholarship.”
At age 13, Zook began designing her own clothes.
“I wasn’t very good then, and, being from a small town in Missouri, I had no access to fashion designers or anything related. I made my own croquis. They were horrible. Eventually I got the hang of it, using templates that I made myself. For more than ten years I’ve had a multitude of people telling me that I should be a fashion designer.”
However, the move to be a fashion designer never felt quite right for her; until now.
One of the most unique features of Zook’s line is that she designed all of the fabric herself. She explains that the most important thing for her was offering items through Unparalleled that can’t be found anywhere else, so all of the fabric is custom designed for this line and not available anywhere else in the world!
Unparalleled will make an online debut at imunparalelled.com on Sept. 12. Zook decided for this to strictly be an online premier because it was more important for her to focus on making a good product than worrying about a glamorous showing at a live event. She feels the same way about the seasons of fashion.
“I don’t want to put out a new product that I’m not 100% on just because a million other designers are scrambling to make 20 new pieces every time the weather changes. I’d like everything that I put out to be something really wonderful, something unparalleled.”
Eventually she would like to have some limited-edition pieces in major city boutiques, but hasn’t given much thought beyond that to the future of her collection. She explained she would be happy just making other women as happy as she was when she first tried on the skirt that inspired this collection.
Don’t forget to visit imunparalleled.com for its Sept. 12 debut on to see this exciting new collection, which will also be available to purchase through the site. Until then you can visit the site early and find sneak peeks and inspiring quotes.
Tulle and taffeta, or silk? You can get the pink and black at any JoAnn’s or even a Hobby Lobby. The green you can custom order from just about any online fabric source.
I see her wearing this with a cotton tee, I hope there is more to it than that or that is not a part of the line.
This artist probably is not going for practicality here but I cant see how a woman would wear this unless for a photo op or super dressy occasion. I certainly would not pair it with the overrun crop T. So no, unless I just wanted attention and stares, this is not something I would slip on any old day for any occasion. Its just like a wedding dress; a statement, a photo opp.
These skirts could work as midi’s as mid length skirts can easily transcend day or night, formal or flirty and one could actually pair it with just about any shoe for her comfort. If it were not so full and just mid-length it would look cute with a fitted feminine blazer and a slight pump for a daytime work look. Minus the blazer with just a symmetrical top of satin, a well placed brooch and an ankle wrap flat, hello nightlife.
I guess some women would wear this for no reason at all, suffer through the impracticality of movement and keeping it clean, enjoy the stares and pay whats probably too high for this, however most women will not or cannot afford to. Is there a designer who can do feminine comfort, that makes you feel that wedding dress amazement without being blatantly over the top and rerun over and over by every brand out there? And can we all finally agree that pink is not the only girl color out there?!
Comment September 4, 2014 @ 3:12 pm
OOooh oh oh oh! I totally get what this designer means! Whilst I have never been in a wedding dress, there is something to be said for the feel of a chi-chi fabric caressing your skin, the curvaceous feeling of full skirts and strolling with a clutch of skirts in your hand.
I bought a skirt like these on Etsy (but in a heliotrope hue)with an adjustable waistband that started out jumbo and squeezes all the way to waif. Actually my parents purchased it and to justify the luxury I wore it in my senior portraits, to the senior prom and graduation. I felt like a full blown woman lol and I know I stood out.
Looking back at the pictures now, I see I looked rather gauche and I could have bought nearly the same thing at a Deb store and now ModCloth sells the knee length versions with a layered form.
I still have my skirt; I had always hoped for more occasions to wear it and now I think I will drum up a seamstress who can trim it up to the knees. See I ruined the hem with people stepping on it and now being able to keep it off the ground. Thankfully, I am just not type with the audacity to wear it just anywhere but now I see I can wear it more!
Back with the subject at hand,I fail to see what is “unparalleled” here? Maybe @The Pulse just didnt run pix of the entire line.I think these skirts would be great for ballet and theatrics.
Comment September 4, 2014 @ 6:22 pm
The first shows something “unparalleled”
https://www.etsy.com/listing/95266145/silk-tulle-taffeta-with-nude-sheer?ref=sr_gallery_13&ga_search_query=tulle+and+taffeta+skirt&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
All the rest show whats right here. Does @ThePulse even try anymore and do the artists and ‘designers’??!
@Elise you were right.wow.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/168966635/hot-pink-floor-length-tulle-full-pleated?ref=sr_gallery_8&ga_search_query=full+length+tulle+skirt&ga_ref=auto1&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
https://www.etsy.com/listing/168948062/long-bright-green-floor-length-tulle?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=full+length+tulle+skirt&ga_color=0ac20a&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
Saaaame colors
Comment September 5, 2014 @ 9:19 pm
To Elise and Aline Design–both of you were so astute in your comments re: the unparalleled clothing line. To those of us who have known Mrs. Zook for years, her ‘designer line’ of clothing represents nothing more than her latest narcissistic attempt to gain validation of herself as an artist. It would be funny if her efforts did not affect her relationship with her children and use money earmarked for the care of them.
Comment September 8, 2014 @ 8:40 pm
Feel free to hate the skirts if it isn’t your taste, but posting nasty comments anonymously about someone’s work and livelihood is cowardly. I think that real artists get what Zook is trying to accomplish. Her designs aren’t merely about what the clothing looks like, but the way wearing her pieces can make someone FEEL. If Zook were commissioned to create specific pieces I bet she would do a splendid job. I’ll say too, Redbook mag published “The White T-Shirt Miracle” in April 2013—a full 6-page spread with TV-star Alyson Hannigan. Apparently, when paired correctly, cotton T’s go with everything. One of the things they paired it with was a formal cream and black French Connection silk skirt, similar to the one in the etsy link above. And Alyson’s t-shirt was knotted at the waist. Go figure. Guess according to Redbook LKZ knows her stuff after all. As far as myself, I would never wear the pink or green because that’s not my thing, but that black skirt with a pretty blouse, metallic heels and sparkly accessories would look smashing at a formal Christmas or New Year’s party.
Comment September 17, 2014 @ 1:12 pm
RedBook is still in print???
Liz talks about being able to wear these skirts everyday for that special feeling, like you get wearing a wedding dress and even you are placing it as a special occasion piece.
At $825 its a ripoff as other posters point out they can get the same if not better material/colors/features etc for $150 or less.
Comment September 19, 2014 @ 5:46 pm
Thank you for your support, Sarah.
Alyson Hannigan is adorable. And who doesn’t love a good t-shirt?
The green and pink are definitely not for everyone – which I completely understand. My daughter and I love how playful they are, though!
I absolutely love doing commissioned pieces. I’ve done a few and it makes me so happy when people try on their finished pieces for the first time and their faces light up!
I’ll be launching ready to wear in the coming months. (I have been offered a spot for my clothing in a boutique downtown, but nothing is finalized yet.)
Again, thank you for the lovely comment in support of what I’m trying to accomplish – helping to make women feel beautiful every day.
Comment September 20, 2014 @ 11:59 am
So, writing we’re righting fiction now? Be sure and add that to your CV dear.
Comment September 22, 2014 @ 7:35 pm
LKZ, My apologies for ANONYMOUS’s inappropriate personal comments, and for not catching it sooner. I don’t know how/why that comment got approved by our admin to post in the first place, but we’ll have none of that here. This isn’t Topix.
Comment October 21, 2014 @ 11:08 am