Polyester Fashion

Aka: Simplifying a collection to fit production capabilities.

I’m not going to lie, it is difficult being an independent designer with zero startup money. I have yet to take out any loans and I am proud to still pay my credit card bills on time. The fashion industry is so tough in so many ways and one risks burning out very quickly. Me? I’ve been smoldering for a decade.

When I began my work in fashion ten years ago, I believed- from what I heard in school, to what I saw in stores and luxury brands- that a fashion designer’s job was to create 2-8 collections each year and 12-30+ pieces in each collection. True, it’s what a fashion designer should do, but not an independent designer like myself. It takes a team to accomplish these feats and I don’t have the luxury of a production facility and employees. Yet.

I spent many years participating in fashion shows as often as possible, never getting ahead on production. Sure, I’d get some pictures and phone numbers, but they rarely garnered results of consequence. I would always leave disappointed, full of regret, and with a rack full of extra-long-tall size 2 clothing.

Why, only now, did I figure it out? The answer is to Simplify. I have amazing friends who have done the same, seen it in etsy stores, and hell, I see it every time I visit my brother’s ice cream store. Do one thing, do it well, and make it fun!

With that in mind, I will no longer be making any other type of clothing, with the exception of cardigans. In my pursuit to create a better future for myself and my brand, it’s time to move on. I got into fashion as a way to have fun and make money while expressing my creativity… I suppose I’m just now finding my way back to where I need to be. Plus, cardigans are useful, I wear mine all the time, and I’m really excited about this unique concept!

I am so grateful for all of my customers who have bought some of my best-selling items– raglan dresses, space girl dresses, wrap skirts, triangle mod tops, hoodie vests, and ruffle-sleeve tank tops, peter-pan collar tops, and furry kitty hats. I loved each piece I made, knew them by name, and will never forget them. They shaped who I am as a designer today. May they return once again, when I have the force of a production staff to support me in sewing these babies up. So for now, cardigans.