Sophomore Juliana Gogol talks about the process and work that goes into designing her own clothes.
Q: At what age did you start designing clothes? What influenced you to start?
A: My mom taught me to sew, because she used to sew a lot when I was little and always made my halloween costumes. I always gave her ideas on what I wanted my costumes to look like. When I was in sixth grade I took a summer class on how to sew that really got me into it. Eventually I got really bored of the patterns that you buy, and I wanted to put my own spin on them by making changes to the guidelines given.
Q: What is your process for coming up with designs and making them into clothes?
A: It will start with me looking through Pinterest, and maybe I’ll see a dress I think is cute, and then I’ll plan out if I would want to make it shorter, or the sleeves longer, etc. I’ll draw it out, then head to a fabric store, usually JoAnn’s fabric, then find a pattern that is similar to the outfit I want to achieve. Then I’ll take the pattern, and redesign it to achieve the look I want. Whenever I get an idea, I get really excited and want to drop everything to work on it.
Q: Has designing a majority of your clothes affected your personal style?
A: Yes to some degree, since I wear them a lot. I really don’t like a lot of the clothes you’ll find in stores, so if I am am going to buy something from a store it is usually simple t-shirts or jeans. I really love the style of the 50’s, all things vintage and those big, poofy skirts. A lot of the clothing pieces I make are inspired from that era, and made more modern. The things that I make are usually dresses and skirts that could be described as girly. Although they may be more girly, I’m not a fan of floral patterns, they sort of have an edge to them.
Q: What are your proudest pieces?
A: Thats a tough one. I would have to say a top and a skirt I made last year for halloween to fulfill The Little Mermaid theme. The top was sort of a corset since I couldn’t really find a bikini with the sea shells on them. I just made a shimmery top that was pink and blue. For the skirt I made my own mermaid tail shape that dipped in, then had fins at the bottom. I actually designed that completely myself, and was the first thing I used my own pattern for.
Q: Do you plan to have a career in fashion and design when older?
A: I am looking at colleges right now that have really good fashion and design programs. I am looking into Rhode Island School of Design, Parsens and PRAT for college. I could go into high fashion, but I feel as though that is a little too out of the box for me. The outfits that they make for high fashion are not the looks people would wear for every day life. I’m thinking about going into a commercial clothing line, something they might sell at Target.
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