2014 was the year it really happened. My first season was Fall/Winter 2013, and through the positive reception to that collection, the ship had officially set sail. What followed in 2014 was, quite frankly, a wild year. I quit my job on a whim, driven by a fashion collection I desperately wanted to see come to fruition.
That decision led to what was likely the most skeptical and risky choice I made: opening a retail location in order to stock my own clothing. If no one was going to commit to booking my minimum order, I figured I would do it myself. Of course, that also forced me to confront some hard truths. I was not really operating as a fully formed business, let alone a sustainable fashion line.
Despite barely having enough funds to support production heading into 2015, 2014 became the year I was able to present a complete and cohesive collection. It was a period where creative ideas poured out freely. I was living my own Gesamtkunstwerk. I was not only designing the clothing, but also the space that housed it. Every detail, from garments to environment, was under my control.
That level of creative ownership was both exhilarating and sobering. Alongside the freedom came the realization that time and place are not always aligned with creative vision. The year taught me that ambition alone is not enough, and that creativity, business, and circumstance must all move together for something truly sustainable to exist.
