Fashion
Recycled collection
Colorado's "Green is the New Black" Fashion Show
In the Spring of 2017, I gained further interest in the movement for more sustainable fashion and entered into a “green” fashion show. My collection, "Escher in the Impossible" is a collection made from recycled materials, and upcycled garments. Inspired by the artwork of M.C. Escher, the pieces in this collection are made up of "impossible" garments, such as Escher's work consisted of impossible forms. This collection was shown in Carbondale, Colorado's "Green is the New Black" recycled fashion show, and was the winner of the "Most Original Collection" award.
This collection pushed both my technical and artistic skills. On a technical level, I used mainly general hardware items, such as chicken wire, nuts & bolts, zip ties, springs, chains, etc. Therefore, I was forced to get very creative with my construction techniques. Artistically, I took concepts from M.C. Escher's work, such as Metamorphosis, infinity, 2D to 3D forms, and altering perspectives, and interpreted them into a wearable form.
Jacket & Coat Collection
Portland, D.C., Vancouver, and NYC Fashion Weeks
In 2015 I created a collection that I was invited to show in several runway shows, both across the country and internationally. This collection consisted of handmade jackets and coats inspired by the chaos of the city. By using bold color blocking, asymmetrical design lines, and textured fabrics, the chaotic nature of urban living comes to life in "Urban Puzzle".
My purpose for creating this collection was to practice my work in outerwear garments. By using more challenging fabrics, I learned how a design concept does not always come to fruition as expected. Some of the crowd favorite pieces were the ones that started out very differently at initial design and had created problems along the way, needing for the design to change. The shows I attended gave me the opportunity to sell my product at a booth, so therefore I learned how to better merchandise and market my own products. Additionally, the opportunity to show this collection in various cities gave me great exposure to the industry and ability to continue to grow my professional network.
RTW Collection
Omaha Fashion Week
In 2014 I applied, interviewed, and was accepted to show my work at Omaha Fashion Week's summer show. This collection of women’s ready to wear summer looks was intended to allow myself more practice working with knit and lightweight fabrics. Inspired by coral reefs, this collection used bright colors, flowing lightweight fabrics, and curvilinear lines to embody ocean life. This line of 20 handmade pieces was featured in the Autumn/Winter issue of Omaha Fashion Magazine. My collection placed 11th of 35 designers.
This collection introduced me for the first time of the design process from start to finish. By gathering my inspiration and trend research, developed sketches, drafted patterns by hand, fitting muslins, and constructing the final garments. Additionally, putting my collection into a professional show gave me the benefit of receiving feedback from fellow designers, audience members, and the media. This allowed me to better my design skills, as well as gain confidence as a designer.
Capstone Collection
Oregon State Spring Fashion Show
This collection was created as a student during my senior year for Oregon State University's annual spring fashion show 2013. With my experience working in costume design, the inspiration for this collection was "Women of Fantasy", which included a look inspired by a fairy queen, evil sorceress, earth goddess, mermaid, and valkyrie. For each look I created a skirt with a matching top (10 pieces total).
This collection was completed in conjunction with taking a class on Optitex, therefore some patterns were drafted electronically. Additionally, for some styles grade tables and markers were created to learn about how pieces change once they are put into production. This was an eye-opening experience before starting my professional career. Along with finishing up senior year classes and working fulltime, working on this collection also taught me how to fine tune time management skills.