Swimwear: you can never have just one piece. This is the cardinal rule for men and women across America if you really want to hear my opinion about it. A few years ago I had an opportunity to work with a brand out of Las Vegas designing and developing a small line of clothing for them. Luckily for me, the line quickly grew into an additional need for a full line of swimwear for 2015. I can still remember the day I got the email and i'm pretty sure I cried. I have always had a sweet spot in my creative mind for swimwear design but never had the opportunity to work on it. I had big dreams to return to South Sea Island in Fiji (where I spent time on my way back to the states from living abroad in Australia) have my own bikini line, and basically die of happiness amidst palm trees. Snapping back to reality, this opportunity out of Vegas seemed like the beginning of my dream actually coming true. I still feel that way even though we're only in fit sample stage. I am not not crazy. I have to remain mum on details because there is a reality show and other marketing deals tied to the line of swimwear that I cannot repeat in a public space until the ink is dry. Sorry ya'll. I can however, take you through my abbreviated emotional journey into designing my very first line of swimwear. 

My client wanted everything to be USA made which I really dig but it also limits you as far as fabric availability and price. Luckily, my homies over at Sportek in L.A. saved my life and sent me 800 swatch cards, ultimately drowning me in a sea of nylon/spandex blends. It wasn't easy to pick which weight and content I should use for the bodies I wanted to create-what if it didn't work? Like most women in America, I found myself searching for answers in the swimwear section at Target. Naturally. I touched a lot of bikinis, bought samples for fit and spec reference, and swam back through my sea of fabric to find the perfect match. What seemed like a lot of confused faces from my boyfriend later, I had laid out my fabric choices, print selections, and my design concepts and was ready to figure out where I was getting these babies sampled. Because my timing was really great, it was just before the international Swim Show in Miami and everyone in bikini world was scrambling to get samples and production done, and every supplier I contacted was booked solid. I finally found a light at the end of the tunnel from a great husband and wife owned factory in L.A…YES they could sample my designs in less than a 3 month time block. Victory! Also, I was really pumped to have all my suppliers in one area…it makes "Made in USA" a lot easier. I received our first round of fit samples yesterday and so far i'm pretty sure no one on this Earth knows what it means to me. It may be small, and who know where it will go but as I mentioned earlier, you can never just have one piece, in fact, I want it all.

Sneak peak of the #monokini

I just really feel like i've made it as a Designer when my name is on a hang tag.

I have really, really talented friends. One of my best blondies is particularly creatively gifted and is a fellow freelancer just like myself. She puts everything you are thinking in your head, but maybe don't say out loud, on adorable stationary cards. She has an Etsy store which you can peep here:
 Hello Gorgeous 

My favorite design she has right now comes straight from Biggie and speaks to every Champagne connoisseur's heart. So basically it speaks to everyone. Her store is chic, adorable, and makes me want to write everyone I know quick hello - Facebook pokes don't have shit on these babies. You can follow her Instagram at @heather_lindberg and see her full portfolio at www.heatherlindberg.com. 

For the past few weeks i've been putting together a storyboard and designs for about 50 Sku's of knit hats - something i've never really developed before, and my deadline is fast approaching. I flew back to Boston in November where I was assigned this task, and stayed with my parents for a few nights. My mom knocked on my bedroom door at 5:30 am and climbed in bed with me with her coffee like I was a child and asked me, "How do you design that many different knits? How do you make them all different?" First of all, Mom, why? Whenever I stay at my parents house, they have this weird need to be in my personal space and it's usually at the oddest hours…something I can only describe as empty nest syndrome I guess. I'm not sure why my job was the first thing on my mom's mind that morning, but oddly enough the same question was on my mine. Yarn can be very intimidating but with some solid trend shopping and research, I have since surpassed my anxiety and am going where my creative brain takes me, hoping the masses will jump on board with me. I like to incorporate details and trends that I am currently obsessed with into my knit designs and roll with it. Fur: obsessed right now. Obsessed always really. Fur is timeless, it's classic, and I don't think it will ever fade. Just like Lil' Wayne. I am also really digging nudes and neutrals right now, with a pop of bright contrast. I found this oatmeal knit with an oversized (fake) rabbit fur pom and died. Immediately. My vision for 2016 knit headwear (since we design a year ahead) will be fur filled and i'm ready to own it.

Sometimes neutral knits can wash a sister out…so that's why I paired it with a gold necklace to add some bling and bright red Revlon Colorbust lip balm (has a minty scent to it which is a home run #amiright). Nails are hanging neutral with Sally Hansen's Earl Gray shade because I don't want to distract from the rabbit on my head. 

Hi. I am self admittedly creating this blog for several reasons that mostly apply to the ones I love. Number One: My family can't keep track of me. I have lived in 5 states and 2 countries in my 29 years of life and am constantly doing something new. Also, my boyfriend is in the Military so we have moved twice in the last 8 months. My poor Grandmother thinks she has alzheimer's because she can't remember where I am every time I talk to her, but i'm like, it's not you. It's me. Number 2: Because I would like to spare my boyfriend of my explosion of ideas and seemingly pinnacle thoughts as soon as he walks in the door from work. I currently work out of our home in the San Francisco Bay area and apart from phone calls from my coworkers and clients, my only interaction with a living thing for 8 plus hours a day is my dog, Nyia. Unless I go wander around Target purely for human contact, which I am known to do from time to time. Number 3: I have 7 years of experience in the Fashion Industry, working with brands such as Victoria's Secret,  Frederick's of Hollywood, various activewear and accessory brands, the U.S. Military, and the NHL. I have behind the scenes experiences that most people would either be completely horrified at, or just jealous of. But- it's my life and I just really feel like I should share what goes on in my world, because it's always crazy, always changing, and always an adventure. So here I am, blogger of all things life and trend worthy. You're welcome.