Five Steps to the Evolution of Turtle Cay Island Wear
How many fabric samples can one new designer collect before she determines that she’ll need to print her own designs onto the fabrics of her choice.
San Francisco Fashion Factory Tour with Lana Hogue and group in the polluted San Francisco air from the devastating California wildfires. Masks were essential.
In the Manhattan rain with Christine Daal and group for her NYC Fashion Factory Tour
Turtle Cay Island Wear has been on my agenda for the last five years. Below are my beginning five steps to the Evolution of Turtle Cay Island Wear.
- The idea evolved out of numerous Caribbean trips that Emery (my husband) and I have taken and my lifelong love of fashion, and now particularly island wear. On every island trip, we heard about and experienced education about the diminishing number of sea turtles on our planet, hence the name Turtle Cay Island Wear.
- For the past four years or more, I have been educating myself in the business mechanics of the fashion industry via seminars, fashion counseling and coaching, U.S. fashion factory tours (see photos), digital design, the search and evaluation of many fashion production companies, pattern and clothing sample makers, and making and creating new contacts. As an FYI, I learned to sew by the age of seven from my interior decorator brother, David, and my mother, Esther Louise Braud in south Louisiana.
- The basic sketching of island-inspired dress designs and changing them over a two year period into digital designs has been an extremely daunting task.
- The sourcing of the fabrics for my designs has not been easy. Please see my collection of sample fabrics in one of my attached photos. The sourcing of fabrics to enhance my first collection has become so cumbersome that I am now in the beginning stage of having several island prints recreated and printed on selected fabrics of my choosing. Note, another new step along the way for the evolution and development of my new company.
- AND NOW, The patience I’ve had for all the above steps is about to be begun with my first patterns and clothing samples being begun in hopefully the next few weeks. STAY TUNED! AND ALWAYS, LIVE FOR YOUR DREAM!!
Five (5) Reasons for Starting My New Fashion Line, Turtle Cay Island Wear
My husband Emery and I totally enjoyed our time at Paradise Island, Bahamas as much as we enjoy each other’s company. Hence, our combined love for the islands and for my love of island clothing and clothing designed for hot weather.
1. I love everything about colorful island clothing and how good-fitting island styles add to my island enjoyment.
2. I want to create clothing for myself and other island and warm weather lovers who want to totally embrace the island atmosphere and culture.
3. I want to create warm weather styles that enhance the feminine form and offer sizes for women like myself and others.
4. I want to design with fabrics that are not too thick or heavy, but move easily over the feminine form.
5. I want to create a new shopping market that really embraces a classy, sexy attitude.