The design process
I find inspiration in textiles, in the ways and moods in which I dress myself. In the colors and textures I see around me, and in my love of small details. A ruffle added to a hemline, shell buttons, a contrasting trim, small things that make me smile.
After hatching an idea, I sketch my designs (my life is chock full of notebooks and scraps of paper!). I then begin manipulating textiles. Draping fabrics on a dress form and drafting prototypes until I have captured the look I am after.
Then the technical process begins. This is the drafting of the pattern and fitting the design to the body so it wears comfortably. Ensuring it provides a good range of motion, and has needed attributes. This usually involves several iterations of the pattern and multiple prototypes.
At this point the new style should have all the desired design elements. It should fit our customer perfectly and suit her to a tee. Since each body is different this presents a challenge, but honing in as closely as possible on who I am designing for simplifies this somewhat.
The Goddess Gear muse is a woman somewhere in the middle of her life or beyond. She is no longer willing to sacrifice her comfort to look amazing. She values herself, she wants to look and feel her best, while going on with her day. Wearability is all important. At any age we all want clothing that is comfortable, moves with us and that makes us smile when we put it on.
To my mind successful apparel design is where creativity meets engineering. The translation of an idea to a flat sketch into a three dimensional product that fits a moving body. It is an endlessly fascinating challenge to me, and why I love designing clothing.
Incorporating my dearly held ideals of sustainability and ease of wear make designing a garment a labor of love!
