B

Looking good, feeling good

Born to a model mom and a suit maker dad, fashion was actually in my blood.I always had a strong desire to dress in a certain way and to stand out from the crowd.

Imademy own toys whenI was a young child and sewed my first skirt at just 10 years old.Afriend’s mother took one look at my skirt and told me that I should be a patternmaker. In high school I started making my own clothes, mostly changing other things because I never liked anything how it was when I bought it. During the last two years of school, I worked part-time for a small business that made hand-painted silk clothingand bags. The owner became the teacher who got me into design in the first place. Another useful bit of work experience then came when I worked at a showroom during fashion week andfound it very exciting. From there I worked at a top clothing store while I got my business started.

For my business I started out with the idea that everything I did would be hand-made and one-of-a-kind, specially made for one individual who hopefully had the same tastes as me. Every morning I jumped out of bed,went to my studio and worked on my projects. This just showed how enthusiastic I felt about my work. And at night I even dreamed of new designs!

Fashion design is functional art. What I mean is that it’s something close to you and something you can touch and feel, and actually interact with. My advice to any young person who wants to be a fashion designer is to get the basic skills early on, such as sewing and pattern-making. Even if you end up specializing, it’s really important to understand all aspects of design in order to make high-quality clothes.

Also, if you dream of having your own clothing line, the best thing to do is start wearing your clothes. You have to try and do this because that’s the way you’re going to develop something that’s all yours and unlike anyone else’s. I passionately believe that the right clothing can make people feel better and give them more confidence.