Kgirl: Fashion Designer Tells All!

Knowledge is the most powerful tool -- and secondly a willingness to learn. As far as real tools go, it's good to have a good pair of scissors (that aren't too heavy) needles, thread, a good sewing machine, fun fabrics that you like to work with and a nice open area to work with. Also a little notebook to sketch out or write ideas in is also a must-have.

I am not sure about a pair of pants, but as far as a tee shirt goes, I would say it takes a few hours for the first sample. From the sketch I either make a template or have someone else do it on the computer. If it is hand stitched, it can take anywhere from a half an hour to 2 hours to sew depending on the complexity of the design. Embroidery machines work much faster and can produce a lot more than we can by hand, so we have half our designs done by hand and half by machine.

My favorite part is seeing how much others enjoy the shirts -- they really make people happy.

For as long as I can remember I have always loved fashion. I started actually designing my senior year of high school when I started sewing. I loved combining patterns that I bought at fabric stores.

It takes a lot of work to start your own business. My best advice is to get as much experience as possible by interning and working for others. It is so important to work hard and always be professional, even when you are not being paid for an internship, it can be the most valuable part and you can learn so much.

Pink!

Inspiration is found everywhere -- the world around me, the interesting people I meet, magazines, and paper products. I love getting inspired by greeting cards and printed material. It's probably the reason I also love scrapbooking so much in my free time!

I used to want to be an orthodontist and a bank teller when I was little. When I went to college, my first major was Pre-Med, and then right before starting school I changed it to Industrial Design, which falls under the school of Architecture. I just loved anything that had to do with design and using my hands and being crafty.

You can buy my shirts in a lot of boutiques. It is available in a few online stores as well. It's fun to be a fashion designer but it is also a lot of hard work. Thanks for your kind words!

It is absolutely possible to be a designer without having to sew. I am not great on the sewing machine, so I like to stitch stuff by hand. It's great when you have good people who can help execute the design you have in mind. It's really about building a team -- especially if there are certain things you don't like to do, you can have them do it.

There is a long process as far as getting your designs "out there" -- just keep making and wearing your stuff and you never know who might compliment you on what you've created. As far as accessories -- I always just wear what I like. I don't follow too many trends although it took a few years for me to really like wearing gold over silver. I think it's just like anything else, if you feel like you are overdoing it and don't feel comfortable in what you are wearing, it may be best to tone it down. I like to wear a fancy big necklace and bracelet. I wouldn't necessarily wear a big attention grabbing necklace with big attention grabbing earrings. It's good to be balanced.

I started off at Georgia Tech studying Industrial Design. After 2 and half years I decided to transfer to AIU (American Intercontinental University) to study Fashion Design and Marketing. I really think you can learn a lot from wherever you decide to go to college, it's all what you make of it.

I design whenever something pops into my head or something inspires me. I always keep a small notebook handy so that I can write down ideas or color combos down when I think of them. I am on deadline though, so I do end up designing at the last minute right before tradeshows, but I would say since I own my own company, only about 5 percent of my time is spent actually designing!

Stay warm and wear what makes you feel good! I like to wear colors as well as white to brighten up the dreary winter days. I also love the accessories for winter -- the scarves especially!

My mom sewed when I was little, so I watched her, but I really learned by taking a few classes my senior year of high school. It counted as an elective and I had finished many requirements so I loaded up on sewing classes.

I love doing what I do -- there are of course reasons why it is still called a job, and it is a lot of work. Fortunately when I decided to design, I had a lot of experience doing fashion styling (dressing models for photo shoots) and I had a great opportunity to sell to some great boutiques across the country.

My advice to young girls is to keep an open mind and experience as much fashion and design related as you can. I always read a lot of magazines and books and tried to seize any opportunity I had to make something. If you are old enough to get a job, I encourage you to intern while going to school. If you want to start your own company, I would suggest studying a lot about business!

Hate is an extremely strong word, and I don't think I make a lot of offensive designs. I try not to take it personally when people dislike my designs. You find out that not all the designs are for everyone, and that's okay. I do try and wear something I've designed every day. When I can't wear a tee shirt to an event, I either wear a necklace that I have made or my arm warmers.