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[Light, bouncy instrumental]
Narrator: There's a common thread to Stephanie Schultz's work...
...a passion for fashion.
- Stephanie Schultz: It's important for me to be able to
express myself creatively.
And sometimes it's not fun
because it's hard and it's challenging,
but it's important.
- Stephanie is a fashion designer
and the tenth artist-in-residence
at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee.
The year-long program gives a local artist a stipend
and studio space on the Pfister's first floor.
In return,
the artist incorporates the historic hotel
into their work.
? [Classical violin] ?
- Schultz: I'm working on
high-fashion garments
inspired by the Victorian paintings
that are here at the hotel.
- The Pfister opened in 1893.
They claim to have the largest Victorian art collection
of any hotel in the world.
- I often think about if these paintings
could tell us all these different stories
of everything that they've seen throughout the years.
Just think about all the different stories
that are here at the hotel.
- Stephanie is bringing those stories to life.
[Sewing machine whirring]
It requires an eye for design,
pattern making and precision.
- If the fabric is really expensive,
and you're about to cut into it, and just be like,
[Whispering] "Oh, I hope this works. I hope this works!"
My personal motto is that I always
want to be in a state of chronic discomfort.
And the reason for that is if I'm becoming complacent,
that means that I'm not growing and I'm not learning.
- She's creating garments for a fashion show
to mark the end of her residency.
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- Ah, yeah, so putting together a fashion show
is an unbelievable amount of work.
[Overlapping conversations]
- Stephanie meticulously plans every detail of the show.
It's not just designing the garments.
It's also finding a team of models and artists
to make her vision a reality.
- I want to create a unique experience
for people who want to come to this show
and give them something that they've never seen before.
- At 7:30, it's showtime.
[Light-hearted piano and string orchestra]
The culmination of 12 months of work.
- I think about the entire scope
of when a person walks into this event,
are they having this full
immersive experience?
- The answer is a resounding 'yes.'
[Cheers and applause]
- I cry, usually.
[Chuckles]
It's an overwhelming feeling
that it's extremely stressful, and it's just all these emotions
kind of converging.
And the only way that I can handle it
is just by crying, because it's so wonderful to--
to experience something like that.
[Audience chatters excitedly, cameras click]
- Stephanie's show is a smashing success.
For one night,
the history of the Pfister has come alive.
- That satisfaction that you get
from working on something for so long,
and seeing it come to fruition,
and knowing that you can do it.
You know?
That's what I enjoy about it.
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