"I never thought, as a child, that I would be a fashion designer. I simply loved to sew. My mother taught me to sew at a very young age and I’ve only grown to love it more through the years. I remember telling my parents that I was never going to college, because I couldn’t bear the thought of sitting in a huge lecture hall for four years. Then one day I met a woman named Charity who had just finished school to be a hairstylist, and I realized that I could take my love for creating and turn it into a career, and I might actually enjoy college! I have had many challenges along the road, but no matter what happened, I told myself that no one could take that dream away from me. So here I am today, and my dream glitters brighter and closer and more beautiful and exciting than it ever has.
Look at the clothes you are wearing. Almost every article of clothing has been mass manufactured. The majority of jobs in this field are with large companies and manufacturing, but I entered this field because I love to sew and I want to always continue to sew; so I am intending to start my own boutique where I can handcraft beautiful pieces. Being a niche market, and an expensive one, I understand that this will present me with large challenges, but I am ready, as ever, to take them on. The portfolio you are about to view has an emphasis on boutique-style apparel, along with other aspects of fashion design, as a small business owner can benefit from being versatile instead of having to contract out all of the jobs related to making and selling clothing.
Amara is my senior collection. I wanted to make a series of garments that a woman would find in a little specialty shop, buy one piece for generous sum and keep treasured in her closet as that one garment she loves, and when she wears it you know it’s a special day.
I created a line to celebrate femininity and delicacy. I chose a soft, muted color palette that intermingles cool and warm tones like a cool breeze in the early hours of a summer morning that promises to be hot by noon. I added a rich wine color to bring depth and intrigue to the collection. I chose silhouettes that celebrate a woman’s curves while maintaining a very comfortable style. I love texture, and used an assortment of textures as that one element that makes the garment capture your heart.
My first look is a Rayon blend lace dress that I wish you could feel in your hands right now because the fabric is so deliciously soft. It has a ruffle at the neck and pearl buttons down the front. The corresponding jacket has a jacquard diamond pattern, and is made of the perfect blend of cotton, so the seams press perfectly, polyester for wrinkle resistance and spandex for a little stretch for comfort. The reverse of the jacquard is used for contrast on the collar and cuffs and the seams are piped in the same lace from the dress, backed by the wine color to set off the lace.
Second is a breezy dress of the most delicate china silk with ruched detail at the waistline. It has a slouchy smoker-style jacket of silk charmeuse with details in silk duipioni. This jacket can be thrown on in the evening as the weather starts to cool down, for a relaxed but scrumptious cover with a waistband that adds a hint of femininity so you feel beautiful even in your comfort.
Third is a paneled dress, of silk chantung that has been laundered for softness. The neckline is designed for an elegant and tasteful frame to show off the neck and shoulders, and the vertical panels create a slimming waistline. The jacket is very minimal and airy to be worn on a warm day. The silk tussah provides a chunky texture along with a beautiful gleam, and it features pleating inside the collar and a pleated ruffle along the edge. The sleeves are a breezy Rayon/silk chiffon with a burnout floral print and the button is handcrafted with a floral design. The bottom edge of the jacket is designed to reflect the high empire waist of the dress.
The final look of my collection is a white cotton button-down dress full of detailing. The fabric has a Mexican hemstitched vertical stripe. The sleeves pouf at the cap and are fitted down to just above the elbow with exterior stitched-down box-pleats for a graceful silhouette. There are pintucks on the front and back bodice and a very detailed yoke.
The technical breakdown of the yoke illustrates the construction method I used. The yoke is a series of layers: On top, a basket-weave of lace over colored ribbons. That is mounted to a layer of organza, and sealed between this and the bottom layer of organza are nylon leaves, to created a very subtle detail of nearly hidden leaves behind the basket weave.
Being a small business owner I can benefit from being able to do my own visual merchandising displays and styling photoshoots for advertising.
This project was an exercise in creating a storefront window display using a layout that draws interest for your business. I built a 3-dimensional scale model of a bridal shop window. I sculpted a “mannequin” out of clay, sewed her gown, and built miniature furniture inside a proportionate box.
I wanted to touch the viewer with a very personal, relatable scene, so I portrayed a bride sitting in a room by herself to set the mood of “The intimate moment of a bride in deep reflection, moments before her walk down the aisle toward a new life, new challenges, new adventures.”
This is a photoshoot that I styled and shot in an exercise for advertising. The store was a contrasted split between delicate bridal and rock-inspired streetwear.
I played up the contrast of the two elements of the store to appeal to the viewer’s curiosity. One is not accustomed to seeing a store advertisement with a bride and a punk together, and the surprise factor leads the viewer to look deeper into the advertisement.
Pretty picnics is a line I designed for casual summer wear.
For my assortment plan I used a color palette that creates the feel of summer. I emphasized white to be worn in leisure on hot days, and slightly muted but rich greens, blues, reds and yellows to create a semblance of the relaxed, but perfectly happy and content feeling of spending time in the sun. Preferably, at a picnic. The silhouettes are reminiscent of 1920’s styles, which I love for summer because the wearer can bare enough skin to keep cool while still keeping a tasteful appearance. All of the pieces are designed to be low maintenance and comfortable.
The following are individual pieces I created for the markets of career, cocktail and evening wear.
My career woman has to maintain a level of professionalism, but doesn’t let that stop her from showing off her feminine and fashion-conscious side. The black cotton twill skirt is utilized as a basic piece, but without being boring. The back features a pleated skirt with a gentle feminine curve into the waistband. The vest is of silk chantung with black pinstripes, and a halter strap to emphasize broad shoulders. The blouse is her touch of fancy, made of cotton gauze with ruffled detail on the yoke and cuffs.
My cocktail dress is a crisp silk chantung to hold the shape of the curvy silhouette. The bias cut allows for gathers that fall in a diagonal and unstructured manner reminiscent of vintage silk pieces. The bustier is boned with a built-in bra so she doesn’t have to worry about understructures, and the waistband completes the curvy look by showing off her little waist. The halter top gives a flattering silhouette in the front while leaving the back open.
For evening I created “Only Tonight.” Nothing compares to the wonderful butterflies a woman has going out in the evening for a very formal affair. "Only Tonight" is designed to make you look and feel as incredible as the night promises to be, when you look like a million bucks, only tonight matters.
This black lace gown has a deep V neck in front and back to elongate the figure and a mermaid silhouette to celebrate those lovely curves of a woman. The gold accents subtly bring attention to her neckline and waist, and the sheer chiffon goudets flow beautifully when she walks. "Only Tonight" is elegance and taste with a hint of seduction.
Carpet Dress
In fall 2007 I was asked to join a team of interior designers to design and create an entire garment from interior design materials. Our assigned material was carpet fiber. When I joined the team they had already come up with the concept of the military ghillie suit and asked me to present them designs based on that concept. I didn’t know what a ghillie suit was, so I looked it up on the internet and was absolutely distraught that they had chosen this blob as our concept. However, I pulled out my pencils and came up with a series of designs, which the team chose from, and we all worked together to build our “carpet dress.”
Minoan Snake Goddess
Thank you to Mike Sanabia who photographed all of my garments, and Amara Isaac, Laura Kincaid, and Dominic Chan for modeling!
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