I began to paint at a very early age, and it was through my passion for painting and fashion that my current fashion line has become a business. Four years ago, I was exploring mixed media and wanted to learn how to sew, so I signed up for a sewing camp at the Austin School of Fashion Design.
I fell in love with sewing and designing and quickly began sewing clothes for myself. Designing clothing was another creative outlet for me that was tied to my art sometimes consciously and other times very subconsciously. A few years ago, I translated one of my paintings “Winter Roses” into a couture dress that I patterned, designed, and sewed together. I took the movement of the painting and the floral design as well as the color palette and “made” it into a dress. (Editor’s Note: “Winter Roses” won a Gold Key in Fashion from the Scholastic Arts Awards in 2013.)
I have always said “if art had legs, it would be fashion,” and I really believe that holds true for me. I have been turning my paintings into fabric. I can see my paintings as tops or pants and sometimes I might be working with a fabric that influences my color palette for a painting. The relationship moves pretty fluidly back and forth. I have moved on from sewing clothes for myself to making clothing collections with the support of my Mom and Dad. I have been learning a great deal about what it takes to run a fashion line. There are many moving pieces that need to be orchestrated in order to make it happen from my initial design sketches to fabric selections, sample making, and production to the hanger. It has definitely taken a lot of “blood, sweat, and glitter” to get to where I am now but I absolutely love what I am doing!
Lacy Compton is a member of the TEMPO Editorial Board. She has been an editor and promotions coordinator at Prufrock Press since 2005 and an instructor with Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth since 2009, where she teaches online literature courses to gifted fourth and fifth graders. Lacy holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University and a master’s degree in English from Texas State University.
Spotlight on Students: Art as Fashion by Isabella Taylor PDF
