Final Thoughts from Designer Rachel Wilson

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Final Thoughts from Designer Rachel Wilson

Designer - Rachel WilsonMy Advice:Rachel Wilson

Throughout the process of this runway show I’ve learned a lot of very important things. Some of those are about life, others are about me as a person and then there are the lessons I’ve learned about being a designer.

I would like to humbly offer my top 10 most important things I have discovered through this eye opening journey.

 10. Apply Yourself!        I first learned about this project through my school’s retailing/design club THREADS. I have always been the girl who sees something she wants and takes it. I wanted to be a part of this journey right away and I spent several hours mulling over my application to make sure it looked alright. There weren’t many guidelines, similar to resumes or cover letters, which I had to follow. I found that being myself and showing my personality was what really propelled me forward.

9. Try- Try -Again (and fast!)- Everything in this show has been experimentation for me from the application to shopping and putting my garments together. I had to learn that if I didn’t find anything that interested me in one store I had to quickly move to the next. If one of my plans for a garment fell through or didn’t fit I had to quickly find an alternate route to achieve my end goal. Never give up and work quickly to remedy any problems.

8. We’re All in This Together- While working on the show I constantly had to remind myself that I was a cog in the clockwork that was The Goodwill Rock the Runway competition. In this fast paced world of design it’s very easy to get caught up in yourself, especially as a designer. I try to be very humble about my work and my time but when you have so much to do, weather that be school, a runway show or homework, it’s easy to put things off (like blog entries and correspondence emails). I had to stop several times to remind myself how hard the people at Goodwill were working for me. This helped me keep the emails and projects flowing to them.

 7. Make Art Not War! –  It’s a common misconception between many artists that everything is a competition. I have to remind myself every day that I am not a soldier, I am an artist. Yes, this is a competition of course, but it’s also an opportunity to learn and grow. Part of that learning process is comparing your work with other artists which is always hard. I find that what is most important in that notion is this: Someone else’s art does not invalidate your own. We are all working towards a bigger, more beautiful picture so we may as well get along.

6. Rest- Your mind needs rest every now and then. Working in the studio until 3 or 4 every night only to awaken at 7am to get to school in time for class has been an exercise in discipline for me. I had to constantly remind myself not to become burnt out. A short nap and eating a good meal help any artist keep their mind sharp.

 5. Have Perspective- I’ve continually asked my peers and family what they think of my progress each night. Believe me; it’s nice to have your mom tell you your work is perfect every morning (thanks mom!) but it’s just as important to have friends who tell you exactly what they think of your garments. Some of my most straight forward friends, no matter how brutal it may have felt after those all nighters, have helped me see my work through the audience’s perspective. I’ve learned to value those opinions just as much as the praise I’ve received.

 4. You’ll get Your Turn- Sometimes as an artist it’s easy to feel like a little child in a class room- hand held high, waving excitedly, and thoughts screaming “I know! I know!” as your elbow cramps and the teacher calls on the next student. In all things we will have our opportunity to prove ourselves. It’s especially difficult to chase away those feelings of inadequacy and trust me; I’m always in a constant battle with the phrase, “Why am I not good enough?” I’ve just had to take a breath, look around and trust that my turn was coming. This technique hasn’t failed me yet.

 3. Be you- This is SO stereotypical, of course it had to be said. I often wonder what other designers thought process is. In working with each designer I’ve been able to see their personality shine through. For example, I know that John is going to embellish everything and add his own unique sparkle. Nhi has always been elegant- her mind is always in the details and hand work while Ayana is immaculate and daring with her use of color and patterns, often creating a more ethnic twist to modern runway styles. For myself, I’m very motivated by a sense of story when I design. It’s these design personalities that make the show so diverse and exciting, so it’s been important that I remember who I am and do my best to express that.

 2. Remember, You’ve Already Won- One night, as my stress was looming, my back aching and my fingers bleeding (literally) I exclaimed to my friend, “Gosh… I just really want to win!” my friend stopped me and said, “I think it’s already quite the victory that you’re even a participant.” This made me stop and pause in a sudden moment of clarity. I HAVE already won. It’s such an honor to be a designer for this competition. The bottom line is that I cannot place my worth as a person or artist, in a monetary sum or a certificate. I think this is applicable to many situations that we must face in life.

 1. Trust Yourself- I have always struggled to trust myself. I’m a naturally anxious individual and it’s always been difficult for me to trust everything from my feelings to my ability to match patterns. What sets this competition apart from my usual design process is that I never know what I’ll find. I was forced to trust my gut when it came to fabric patterns, designs, models and theme- most of which was only a rough outline. Each morning I woke up thinking that I would achieve something like a jacket and by the end of the day I’d made a pair of pants instead. I would look back the next morning and think, “Is this right?” but the only one who could validate myself was me. This lesson is one that I will be constantly at odds with however, this competition has stretched me beyond the limits of my own self trust and helped me create something beautiful out of uncertainty- and really… isn’t that what life should be about?

(Bonus: This isn’t applicable to the runway show but I’d like to share this anyway… This was something that took me several difficult years to learn. I firmly believe that people, no matter how terrible they treat you or how mean they seem, are just human. We’re all trying to do the best we can with what we have been given. No (well written) villain is destructive for the sole purpose of creating chaos- they are simply doing the best they can with the cards that they have been dealt. Once I realized this, it helped me to forgive and understand things that I could not control.)

So, as I’m gearing up for the show I am grateful and humbled. I am happy and at peace with myself. I have made many mistakes, had countless revelations and learned so many life lessons from this project. All that is left is the big night. I am excited to see the turn out and reunite with old friends, my family and all of course, all of you. One more time for good measure, I am Rachel Wilson, and I am going to rock that runway.

My Final Thoughts:

To begin I will be forever grateful to Goodwill and our sponsor, The News and Record. This opportunity has been amazing. It has been such an honor to work with Goodwill in this creative endeavor.

I firmly believe in the good that Goodwill provides our community, not just in the Triad, but all over the country. Goodwill helped me at an early age to express myself. It has helped my neighbor figure out his resume and it’s employed close family friends of mine who have special needs. Goodwill has continually touched my life and helped make me better as a person. So I want to thank Goodwill for all the good they’ve done me.

I’d like to thank Deanna Miller who has co-directed this project from day one. It’s been such easy sailing for us designers as our photography, make-up, gift cards and even breakfasts have been provided and organized for us not to mention the venue, lighting and DJs. I am well aware of the hard work that goes into a fashion show and I can tell you- it’s no easy task.

I want to thank Torey Searcy and his amazing photography skills. His work has been so beautiful and professional. I think that everyone looks at photos of their self and cringe a little at all of the little flaws they see, but Torey has made this process virtually painless. He was also very patient with me and my models- admittedly having done more than our share of horseplay in front of the camera. I knew he was special after we bonded over sweet potato icing recipes in the elevator of the empire room at the commercial shoot.

I want to thank and congratulate my fellow designers who have all worked so hard on this project. Your garments all look so beautiful. It’s been a pleasure meeting and working with you all. This is truly a talented group of individuals and I am proud to be in the line-up. I’d like to give a special shout-out to #TeamAyana for all the long nights we pulled in the studio together, the laughter we shared and how nicely she put up with my show tunes (seriously).

I’d also like to thank all of our models for volunteering. You beautiful and kind individuals that came out to support the cause. I’d like to especially thank the Mystique Modeling Troupe who brought their talents to the modeling call.

Of course, I have to thank the friends, family, fans and Goodwill employees for voting, reading and reblogging everything along the way.

Most of all I want to thank the designer’s number one go-to girl, Laura Schaefer. She has been our touchstone throughout this entire project. Laura has been on top of emails from day one. Countless correspondence notes have passed between her and me alone much less the other designers. She’s coordinated every time slot, song choice and blog deadline and I am in awe of her organizational abilities. She is a gem, an asset and a beautiful human.

Thank you, thank you all.

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By | 2014-07-29T15:36:46-04:00 February 6th, 2014|