I received my B.S. in Apparel Design and Merchandising Management with a minor in Business & Entrepreneurship from the competitive programs at Oregon State University. Later, I continued my professional education by earning certificates in Creative Arts and Graphic Design from Colorado Mountain College. Additionally, I attended the prestigious PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy, where I worked with designers from some of the leading footwear design companies in the world. Most recently, I have completed my M.S. in Strategic Management & Executive Leadership with an emphasis in Business Sustainability from Penn State University.
I have a well-rounded background within the Fashion industry. I discovered my passion for design when I was young and began sewing, and soon learned to appreciate creating work with fine details. I began my career working in apparel & footwear retail in sales, store management, and visual merchandising. I have also worked in costume design for costume designer Marti Calson. From there, I also worked as a graphics & print designer and product developer for retailer Fred Meyer. Currently, I work as the Director of Fit & Technical Design for a ski apparel company in Aspen, Colorado.
I have also developed my own fashion line that has been presented in several runway shows across the country. Some of these collections have been invited to show internationally and have one awards for their originality. I have also taken on several other professional projects that complement my industry work, such as creating jewelry and other art collections to raise money for charitable causes, which I continue to do so today.
My Mission:
Living and working up in the mountains of Aspen, Colorado, there is much to be inspired by. Stemming from my work in fashion, I then became interested in jewelry making and metal-working. My jewelry pieces are made from materials found around the globe from my travels, as well as recycled and repurposed materials. Surrounded by nature and the Rocky Mountains, I have found joy in creating, building, and working in many art forms such as needle arts, weaving, knitting, felting, ceramics, painting, printing-making, photography, and more. All these types of works can be purchased here on the online shop as unique one of a kind pieces.
When I work, I love to first start with something that is currently a challenge to me, whether it’s a new technique or a new concept that scares me a little. Pushing myself through the challenge, I learn more about myself and my abilities, but additionally more about what I am currently loving to work on and/or with. Each creative challenge I overcome, gives me expanded knowledge on technique, a broader perspective on problem solving, and a keener creative eye for overcoming the next challenge! I believe to push my fashion or art forward, I start with an inspiration of a more abstract reference point first, working with a question that I don’t know the answer to. By applying the idea to clothing or art, I am forced to come up with a result that can be more innovating, beautiful, or surprising.
Through these efforts, I have gained an appreciation for one of the biggest creative challenges yet- to make the fashion industry more sustainable. My current goal is to create pieces that are sustainable, and to have sustainability become the rule, rather than the exception. I spend my time creating some jewelry metalworks but mostly sustainable fashion designs. Working with limited resources up in the mountains, I design pieces using recycled fabrics, upcycled discarded garments, all-natural dyes and fibers, and unique repurposed materials in general. Taking the old and giving it a new and updated twist. Additionally, through my flat pattern experience working in Fit & Technical Design, I also work using zero waste patterning techniques.
I dream to change the world for the better through art and design. Art makes the world a better place to be. This can be done by creating beautiful aesthetics, as well as through caring for our planet and philanthropic efforts.