Fashion is not just a word or a description or a piece of
clothing or an event. For many it is
life…and a way of life. I have the
extraordinary opportunity to share with you, a little part of something bigger
than just an industry. This article
series is being written to allow you a sneak peek into the lives of some of
designers that are part of the 2012
Phoenix Fashion Week. The interviews
comprise of candid discussions and questions asked of the designers and my
interpretation of their answers. The
write-up will be a summary of the conversation.
Bri Seeley can be
described as classic, quality, and fashionable.
All of these descriptions are exactly what she portrays in her designs
as well as branding. Her desire to
create fashion and design started back to her earliest memories of when her
Grandmother taught her how to sew. There
was no specific starting point or deciding point on her path, it was just
always known to Bri that she would be in fashion. Her first major design project turned out to
be her Junior Year Prom Dress which comprised of Silver Satin, a train and off
shoulder or one shoulder design she had professionally made. When starting out, Bri realized that through
just jumping in and sewing her creations was the easiest way to determine what
worked and what didn’t. Mistakes were
part of the process to design and improve the designs. From design to creation, Bri’s experience
defines a six to eight week process and potentially more where custom designs
come into play.
Bri’s idea of quality consists of two major items that she
looks for immediately – 1) fabric content of the best quality and 2)
construction quality in how the design is made.
Her favorite fabrics revolve around silk, cotton, and rayon. Besides quality, the areas that matter most
to Bri as a fashion designer are the items being made/manufactured completely
in the USA and that the garments are designed to reflect femininity. In Bri’s design practices, she absolutely
would rather go straight to sewing a design and figuring out the appropriate
modifications to make it work versus sketching out the entire design
first. Bri attributes gaining some of
the best experience from her schooling and work abroad in Italy. Two years of education and experience in
Florence, Italy helped to shape Bri’s thought process and eventual decision to
design in the manner she does. Advice
she wanted to share for up and coming designers just breaking into the industry
is the importance of networking. It is
often times, not only what you know but who you know that can actually help
make the difference in getting your brand recognized.
The inspiration for many of the designs comes from nature
and historical vintage fashion. Through
this, the intent of the line is to really reflect the quality, classic looks,
and then designs which are outside of the trends and stand uniquely on their
own as well as being able to cross seasons and last for multiple years. Including the fabrics of silk, cotton, and
rayon, wool ends up being one of the other favorite fabrics she loves to use in
the designs. Her creations are art and
she is truly an artist with a blank canvas when she starts to develop her
designs. Bri’s passion comes across
strong and vivid with that feminine side being a uniquely embellished to make
you appreciate the movements she creates in all her designs.
One cannot deny that Bri’s clothing line is special and she
is going to create waves on the runway.
Looking forward to seeing more of the designs and having the opportunity
to highlight and bring exposure to the Bri
Seeley brand.
Photography by Shawn Kinney
No comments:
Post a Comment