It can be overwhelming when you’re starting out. There is so much to learn (which is also the magical part of it – there is always room to grow). My suggestion is to avoid overthinking it. Grab your pencil, scissors, or computer, and just start. Whether it's sending that initial email, ordering your first drafting textbook, or learning to sew, take that first step. The path will unfold as you actively push forward—one step at a time. 

People often tell you to find your niche or describe what makes your work unique. In my experience, this will be revealed to you with time. The key is to keep creating. Create as much as you can. You’ll probably end up making things you don’t even like, but all of this work is important. Every piece matters, especially in the early stages; they serve as your creative incubator. This work will tell you what you don’t want to make more of, and it will spark curiosity where you didn’t think it existed. 

I like to think of the potter and the clay analogy. We think of ourselves, the makers, as being the potters, but I believe it is the opposite. Your work is the potter, and you are the clay. It is through each piece that you as the creator are formed. Creating as much as you can is how you find yourself and your direction. So don’t stress if you aren’t sure what your point of view is yet. You don’t need to see the whole staircase to take the first step, so to speak. What matters is that you have the desire, so choose one step and take it.

2. How do you handle a creative block?

As difficult as it can be in the moment, I find that stepping away is the most effective. Most days, I am either at home or at the studio, so if I have the chance to take a weekend away for example, that always helps.Turning off work mode and changing up my physical environment always invites new ideas and contributes to feeling fresh mentally.  

In the beginning, when I was feeling stuck, I would get stressed that new ideas weren’t flowing, and this stress would make things worse and I would end up obsessing over it. Of course, nothing good came from this. So I’ve learned to step away, physically and mentally. Feeling stuck creatively is inevitable, but it has happened enough times that I know to trust the process and remember that it will pass. 

Getting off my phone also helps. There is so much digital “noise” these days and it’s easy to lose yourself in it at times. Revisiting my core vision can also promote clarity when dealing with feeling overwhelmed and blocked - it serves as a roadmap and reminds me to stay true to myself and why I started the brand. 

3. What's your favorite color to work with?

There is such a sense of timelessness to black and white, they are so palette-cleansing. To me, they soften emotional edges and provide a sense of serenity, plus they truly work for every season. That being said, I love a pop of color. Me with hundreds of fabric swatches is my happy place. Right now, I am loving a creamy ivory and shades of blue and green, and I will always love a good pink. 

4. Why the silk slip dress?

There is something so special about the drape of the bias cut fabric, how it moves with you and feels like you’re wearing nothing. Silk is visual poetry to me, and designing each piece becomes a project of constantly asking myself what else can be taken away without losing the essence of the dress. 

I love the quote ““Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Stripping each silhouette to its most bare, minimal self ironically gives it its most exuberant energy. 


5. How do you balance creativity with wearability in your designs?

To me, this comes down to empathy. When I have an idea for a new style, I like to run through (as best I can) every possible way each detail on a dress may affect the wearer. For example, I knew when I designed the Ulyana dress that I wanted it to have a really streamlined, columnar silhouette. However, I didn’t want the wearer feeling constricted when she walked, so we added a side slit for ease of movement. 

It’s the little details that contribute to wearability in my opinion. I love the phrase “head in the clouds, feet on the ground” to describe this. That magical dichotomy of creative freshness paired with small touches that make it comfortable and something the customer will reach for time and time again. When a person chooses to wear something you’ve made over every other item in their closet - there aren’t many feelings more incredible than that.