Hello there, world! Nice to meet you, I am a fashion designer. I've been designing clothes ever since I was little, drawing pictures and attempting to make clothes for stylish dolls. Keyword here: Attempting. Sewing is crucial to what I do, yet going into this summer, I could only sew a simple pattern and a pillow case. So... I've spent this summer living and breathing fabric. Yes, it's as unhealthy as it sounds. Help.
If you don't know how to sew, I'll give a quick rundown of why you should really get around to fixing that.
- Delayed gratification. In the beginning, it doesn't really look like anything. But you keep trekking. Sewing is very labor-intensive, but the in end, the finished product is worth the wait.
- Life lessons. Patience. Perseverance. Anger management. Problem solving. Creative thinking. Planning. Math skills. Seriously, why is sewing not taught in schools?
- Value of your clothes. Making clothes is hard. It's ridiculously time and labor intensive. If you actually made that Forever 21 shirt that you're wearing, you definitely wouldn't sell it for only $20.
and most importantly...
- The "I maed dis" factor.
All the struggles, all the frustrations... they are so worth it for this feeling. It's a major sense of accomplishment when that last seam gets pressed. There is no feeling more satisfying than finally finishing a piece that you've been working on for soooo long. But dayummm, it looks good.
If you can do this, you can do anything.
So if sewing is so great, then why aren't there more people doing it? I guess my fashion brain can't understand why my generation wouldn't care more about the clothes they put on their bodies. Or actually, the people that make them. Netflix recently released The True Cost, a documentary about the social problems caused by fast fashion. Yes, everyone loves sales and saving money. But at who's expense? After watching, I don't want to buy another F21 item again. I was conflicted with my career choice for weeks. Please please please watch this.
Sewing looks like it's going out of style, but honestly it's hard to tell. My sewing studio is prominently seven 11-year-olds thrilled about their new pencil pouches and skirts. You have to search, but there are still strongholds of young sewers around the world working to modernize sewing. Pinterest has brought about the DIY, and Youtube connects designers from all over the world. Men and women like MimiGStyle, KL, and Peter Lappin are making sewing cool again. And that's awesome. 
Weaving, making, threading, beading, wearing... Clothes and culture are passed down hand in hand through generations. The art of sewing is a tradition of humanity. Clothes are the outward expression of the human spirit. So, when do you want to start ?
