Hello, my name is Kaila Loew, and I am a senior at Iowa State Majoring in Apparel, Merchandising, and Design with an emphasis on Creatively and Technically Design. This summer, I interned for Soraya Sharghi, a well-known artist working out of New York City with multiple exhibitions and shows worldwide. She wants to debut fashion combined with her art to create a line for her upcoming exhibition. As the only fashion design intern, I was in charge of everything from sketches to proposals in every project and assignment I was tasked to do.
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The first two projects the studio assigned me were collaborations between two different brands and the Artist's work. I was in charge of researching the brands in terms of the capabilities of what they produce. What styles of garments do they have, are they more streetwear or evening wear, etc. My next step was to create an initial design proposal. I would make slide shows and PowerPoint of all my research, what the brand does, what they can produce, and options on what paintings and drawings would best fit those brands. For example, one brand was more sportswear and street style, so I suggested using a painting with vibrant colors and textures to illuminate the feeling of strength and energy. We then would have one-on-one meetings on what styles the Artist likes, such as high or low necklines, different cutouts or style lines, jumpsuits versus dresses, and what materials would be best with what article of clothing. Our meetings would typically last an hour or so.
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Once I had all the information, it was time to sketch out all the ideas! I would sketch maybe 20 different garments at a time, have the Artist review them, pick them apart, and we would discuss their likes and dislikes. From there, I would sketch another 20 and repeat until I had a solid ten perfect sketches! I would then start creating mood boards through Procreate, Adobe, and Photoshop. Placing the pictures in the correct spots, making sure the color and fabric swatches were there, having the correct dpi and resolution, and rendering all sketches to make them look realistic and clean. The final step was then proposing these boards to the companies themselves!
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The last project I had was making a custom design for exhibition night. I started by having a meeting on what the Artist wants to have in this design. After an hour of going back and forth, I took that paper and sketched out different variations to see it digitally, and once those were approved, the process started! I began by ordering fabric samples to feel what type of fabric as desired. Then taking the art and Photoshopping it to turn it into a fabric by ordering it through a custom site. I then began taking measurements of the body and patterning piece by piece, then doing test fits and samples until they fit perfectly on the body. Once we had perfect pattern pieces, I began assembling the garment!
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Every project had moments of doubts and worries if I was in over my head or maybe this is something for an actual designer. I then reminded myself that pretty soon, I am going to be an actual designer, and this is a sink or swim industry. I loved every project, and though I doubted myself, in the end, I proved to myself how much I am capable of. Sometimes the only thing in my way was me in the end. One of the moments that I felt like I was on the right path was when the Artist told me I had a promising future as a fashion designer.