Desiree Hedrick: Collection Inspiration

Desiree Hedrick: Collection Inspiration

Describe what inspired the look for your collection:

At our first Rock the Runway meeting, each designer had to randomly select a decade between the 1940s and the 2000s to be the theme for their collection. Even though I felt like I was on Project Runway, I was still very nervous about selecting my decade!  Luckily, I selected the 90s which was full of life, color, and excitement. I started by researching prominent trends, styles, colors, and silhouettes from the 90s. Then, I narrowed down the colors, silhouettes, and design details I wanted focus on. My collection is inspired by the life of the 90s with a chic and sophisticated flare. In addition, classic 90’s television shows such as “Martin,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and “The Cosby Show” definitely inspired my collection. I have even named every look after certain characters from those shows. My design details consist of boxy silhouettes, overalls, color-blocking, print making, and patch work. My color story is vibrant, yet balanced, with hints of black, white, and denim! I have a lot creativity flowing, and I can’t wait until show day! Hope to see you there!

What piece(s) did you find at Triad Goodwill that will make your collection stand out?

Once I defined my color story, I looked for specific colors and prints needed for my collection. For the denim portion, I looked for jeans with special details and in very large sizes so I have plenty of fabric to work with. I am creating textiles for most of my pieces, so my attention when shopping at Goodwill for clothing was focused on color, texture, and size.

What has been / do you anticipate will be the biggest challenge in making your vision into reality?

When creating my initial sketches, I didn’t factor in that I would need to re-create and re-engineer patterns from existing ready-to-wear- garments for majority of my pieces. This has been a major learning process, and it is really forcing me to think and construct creatively. In addition, it is my senior year in school, and I am heavily involved with my business and work, so balancing my time has been an area that I’m improving on. I am eagerly and confidently taking on this challenge, and I know the end result will be amazing!