Originally from Sioux Falls South Dakota, USA, I have been fascinated by fashion from an early age. My earliest memories of designing were re-sketching and designing the dresses I'd seen in the Disney movies playing of TV before school. Throughout my life I've always had a passion for illustration and the ability to express oneself through their dress.
My love for fashion and the arts lead me to pursue my BFA in fashion design at Kent State University. Throughout my time at Kent I learned much more about the design and construction process and continued to study how fashion relates to self expression. In my senior thesis "What makes a man", my research came to a sort of culmination and, the collection reflects what I want to do in fashion overall; which is to send a deeper message with my garments and make people re consider the status quo.
INSPIRATION
All three of my projects featured in this portfolio are intended to be commentary on social issues. In my Senior thesis I wanted to address the perceived concept of masculinity. In my second project I extended this idea to include a more RTW look in menswear. In my third project I was inspired by Julie D'Aubigny and wanted to use the collection to discuss femininity and body autonomy.
My Thesis Collection draws inspiration from classic women's and men's evening wear and combines the two to create a modern more niche version of men's evening wear. In my RTW project I included modern women's silhouettes and garments in the men's line, and implemented neutral fabrics. In my women's project I used sheer fabrics and corset details to discuss societies perception of women and their bodies.
DETAIL
These projects draw inspiration from traditional women's wear. All three projects use fashion in the contextual sense of gender and class to show viewers that appearance doesn't dictate gender identity, and that fashion is truly a tool for self expression and empowerment.