For me, it’s inspiration.

I try to draw inspiration from everything, and anything. I look at dozens of Fashion Magazines, but I like to expand my horizons. Traveling is an amazing way to get inspiration. Different settings and atmospheres have been known to inspire architecture, fashion, and fine arts. The different ways of living can also inspire new creations. If I can’t travel, I like to wander around the city for inspiration. There is always so much to draw inspiration from; movement, colors, and shapes. In NYC, the inspiration is never-ending.

However, as a fashion student, fabric is my ultimate inspiration. I love going into different fabric stores and swatching, or buying an eighth of a yard, and sketching different ideas from it. Sometimes, the selection of different prints, textures, colors, is overwhelming.

Fashion is beautiful, so it’s easy to get inspiration from anything else that is beautiful. Hairstyles, make-up, art, and architecture are all good targets for getting inspirations. Even things you may not consider to be aesthetically pleasing can turn into great inspiration. Some artists even use people as muses for their artwork.

A few things I also keep in mind when designing is functionality, emotion, and innovation. Is my design solving a problem, or does it have a purpose? What do I want the person wearing it to feel or think when they put it on? And most importantly, is this a new take on things, or has it been done before?

Right now, my inspirations are minerals and elements, or things in their simplest form.

I love the Holidays, but I’m very sad that my Precollege Classes are  coming to an end in the next month. I’m already deciding on my next classes. I’m debating between Fabric Styling, Quick Sketching with Watercolors, and Patternmaking and Sewing. Have you taken these classes? What would you suggest?

Karlie