Chapter 504 Preliminary Rounds of The Fashion Design Competition

Heaton got home earlier from his office that Friday evening. After he picked Little Jelly Bean up from her kindergarten, he sent Verian to the fashion design competition's venue. There were many people there. Since Heaton was worried that Little Jelly Bean would wander off on her own, he decided to carry her around. Little Jelly Bean hugged Heaton's neck. Since her father was a tall man, she was able to spot Bodd from the crowd. "Daddy, Monty, I can see Brother Bodd now!" Little Jelly Bean pointed with her tiny fingers as Heaton and Verian looked toward that direction. Bodd seemed to have spotted them as well; he made his way toward them. "Uncle, Verian." "Brother Bodd, what are you doing here?" Little Jelly Bean asked curiously. Bodd grabbed onto Little Jelly Bean's little hands and shook it around before he said, "Long time no see Little Jelly Bean." Little Jelly Bean scoffed and said, "Hmph, you and Sister Guinnie never play with me anymore." "Sister Guinnie and I have been quite busy recently. I will go to your house to play with you next time when I'm free." Heaton squinted when he noticed the design entry in Bodd's hand. He asked in a deep voice, "So, you've decided to go down this path? You're not just fooling around anymore?" Bodd chuckled as he said, "Uncle, do you really think that I'm such an indecisive person? Did you know that I begged my father for a long time to study art because I really love this career?" Heaton smiled, but he did not say anything else. Even though Bodd was younger and appeared to be indecisive in everything he did, he was not a horrible person. When he could do something he loved, he might even be more determined than anyone else. He was unsure if the brat still had feelings for Verian. When Bodd glanced at Verian, there was a gentle glimmer that flashed in his eyes. It was subtle, but Heaton was a perceptive man, so he noticed that little detail. Verian held onto Heaton's arm as she told Bodd with a smile, "Good luck today, Bodd. Fight to enter the finals." "You, too." "My wedding dress is displayed over there. The competition is about to begin, so Heaton and I will head over there now. We'll talk more after the competition." Bodd nodded as he replied, "Alright, my presentation is about to begin as well. Go on ahead, you guys." Verian headed eastward in the hall as she held onto Heaton's arm. He noticed many people had gathered around Verian's wedding dress. The competition was quite unique. It would not only be judged by a panel of judges, but many the designers and audiences would be able to give their scores as well. The total score would be calculated at the end of the competition, and those scores would be ranked for the preliminaries. Verian felt nervous when she noticed many designers had gathered to discuss her work from a nearby spot. Those designers even took notes. "Heaton, do you think they'll like my wedding dress? I've taken a look around, and all of the other wedding dresses looked quite beautiful too." Heaton gave her an honest critique. "If your wedding dress isn't worn on a person, it would look very simple and plain. However, these judges and designers are not regular people; they have a keen eye for designs like these, so don't worry. You will be able to explain and present your work later to gain some more points." Verian calmed a little as she pulled Heaton aside before she took a deep breath and looked at him. After Heaton gave her a confident look, Verian stood up straight and walked toward the group of judges and designers. "Hello, I am Verian Mont. I am the designer of this wedding dress. If you have any questions about my work, please feel free to ask, and I hope I will be able to answer everyone." One of the female designers frowned and asked, "Miss Mont, isn't your wedding dress a little too big? If the wedding dress is made too big, it wouldn't compliment a woman's upper body. If the person is a little overweight, then they wouldn't be able to show off the design of the dress." Verian chuckled and replied politely, "This dress is specifically made for plump women. You are right; if the model is a little overweight, the dress would often lose its appeal. However, we only wear a wedding dress once in a lifetime. This dress isn't made for a model's figure because not many people would have a body like them. If we only design according to the standards of a model's body, then it would be meaningless to do what we do." That female designer was furious with that statement, so her questions grew more intense. "Miss Mont, please don't forget that you are designing this wedding dress for a competition, and you're not making it to appeal to the mass market. You ignored the important criteria when you think about real-life practicalities. Wouldn't you lose the true values and meaning of a design?" Verian was stunned by that question. She thought about it for a couple of seconds, and just as she was about to give her answer, they heard a middle-aged man's voice. "Who told you that the true value and meaning of a design lies within its ability to be displayed and admired? If a designed product can achieve beauty and practicality while encompassing the principles of design, such a product might just be the pinnacle of design." Verian turned to look at the man. That man was dressed formally, and he looked to be in his 50s or 60s. He seemed friendly and approachable. However, his comment was too blunt. Verian gave him a polite smile and said, "Thank you." That female designer pouted as her train of thought was disrupted in that brief moment. She no longer asked any other questions. The other designers had lost interest and left the area, except for that man. That man carefully inspected Verian's wedding dress. "Miss Mont, how did you come up with this design for a wedding dress? That designer had a good point; a plus-size wedding dress is difficult to show off your design's beauty. You are in a bad position, and I'm interested to know about your thought process when you made this." Verian looked at Heaton and Little Jelly Bean; they were focused on her even though they stood nearby. A flash of confidence glinted in her eyes when she said, "My husband was the one who inspired me to make this wedding dress." "Oh?" "There's also one more point. I just came out of my month-long confinement, and we have yet to hold our wedding. I have gained some weight during my confinement period. So, I told my husband that I wish to slim down a little before we have our wedding. But how could we change the wedding date because of how my body looked? There are many perfectly-figured women in this world, but many others are not as lucky. It doesn't matter how one looks; everyone has the right to wear a wedding dress and be the perfect bride. I made this dress so that women with their physical flaws could have their perfect moment on their wedding day."