Vixious Clothing

A horizon teeming with Hillbilly Harlots

By KRISTEN HUMBERT

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Nefertiti Moore's first design was a skirt made from Beverly Hills, 90210 curtains. "Jason Priestley's face was on the front and Luke Perry was on the back," she says. "It was a big hit."

Moore has since graduated to more complicated designs for Vixious Clothing, her women's "urban couture" line. Vixious threads are one of a kind vintage-inspired pieces. There's a new collection every fall, spring and summer.

Moore has a penchant for '80s flicks, '50s style and '70s disco, but her clothes are always an ode to the classic pinup. "When creating my designs, I think to myself, 'Would Bettie Page wear that?'" she says.

Each collection of Vixious Clothing is different, yet most are a cohesive fusion of two disparate vintage fashion trends. A past collection consisted of pieces inspired by roller skate boogie, with short-shorts and tight tops, but made from punk-rock fabrics. "It would be as if Donna Summer and Debbie Harry were friends. It's what they would wear to CBGB or Studio 54 together," says Moore.

In October of 2006, Moore went to London and created "Native American in London," a fall line. This fusion involved mod shapes made from leather and other "Native American-type fabrics."

To prep for the upcoming summer season, Moore has been sewing nonstop and listening to Van Halen. "I love listening to Van Halen while I sew," she says. "You don't hear the machine after a while, you just hear Eddie and Diamond Dave."

The Vixious 2008 summer collection has two parts. The first consists of showgirl costumes with electric pastel fabrics. The second, which Moore labeled "Hillbilly Harlots," will be a combination of pretty pieces in plaids and denims that are short and risqué. "It will be like Daisy Duke meets June Carter," claims Moore. Both parts will feature playsuits, a staple of every Vixious summer collection.

Currently Vixious designs are available online and in select locations, but Moore has bigger plans. "I definitely want to have my own website, then a store in Boston and then worldwide domination," she says. "I want to have boutiques in Milan, San Francisco ... places I really like and that could use more fun clothes."

[Available at the Garment District, 200 Broadway, Kendall Sq., Cambridge. 617.876.5230. garmentdistrict.com, myspace.com/vixiousclothing]