How Starting Over Has Been My Best Idea Yet
Sorry I haven't written anything on here in a while. However, if you follow me on instagram @neville.designer you can get all the latest madness.
I am 2 months into debut and it has been quite the roller coaster. Within the first 3 weeks I found a fabric I loved and it was drop dead stunning! It would read amazingly on the runway but after having it for 8 weeks, 70 sketches, and one live fitting later, I realized the fabric wasn't me. The fabric choice was wrong for me even though the print was jaw dropping. I'm a strong designer but my concepts of what I wanted to do were battling with my fabric I bought. AKA... I would have been treated like a filler. I could tell even with no one saying a word. (Worst feeling ever!) Plus I was working myself way too hard! What I have learned is if you’re working yourself too hard and it's not coming naturally then chances are your not playing to your strengths and the designs most likely will suffer.
I did a whole 360' (that's right not just a 180'... a whole 360' with my collection) I realized I was only designing for The Board and what I thought they would like but NO MORE! I decided I was going to do things my own way and do what makes me happy. If they like great!...if not at least I would have put my heart into this collection and be proud. I took a risk throwing everything I have been working on the past 8 weeks in the trash but it has been the be the decision I have made so far. The crazy part of it was that 1. It is something I have never seen go down the runway for Debut before and 2. I changed my whole concept Saturday and our second fitting was on Wednesday... which means I show it to my mentor (to be approved) on Tuesday and I have one night to make 4 whole garments for the fitting Wednesday. The crazy part was I had no problem meeting this deadline mainly because I am creating garments I LOVE and went back to my roots on my core strengths.
Flash forward to Wednesday's live fitting. So I felt way more confident going in, even though I had a day to make everything. The model stepped into my garments and....FIT LIKE MONEY! I was so proud! Just reminded me that I am finally on the right track. Just have to grind through sometimes and not get jaded by what others are expecting or wanting.
