I’m A Know Me Pattern Licensed Designer!
I have officially added “Pattern Designer aka Fashion Designer” to my entrepreneurial resume and I couldn’t be more excited or caught off guard. Let me be clear: this is about to be a mushy blog post because it feels really good to be seen. I’ve always loved fashion since I was a kid but when I was finally able to get into it, my size wasn’t there. So this is really big for me and for all the other people in bigger bodies made to feel like we need to shrink in order to fit in.
Mimi And I Were Wrapping Up A Photoshoot
When I first met Mimi at the grand opening of Melanated Fabrics, I tried my hardest not to completely fan girl. See, Mimi has been an inspiration to me for YEARS. Like my Facebook timeline popped up at the end of July with a status update about how I was so inspired to sew by her. Instead of fan girling, I told her how I thought she was missing out on a demographic by not being more size inclusive–big girls like to look cute too.
She asked if I would help if she needed it. I said of course and hid my complete internal freak out and then she actually reached out. The rest is history. But one day when we were talking, she shared how she had plans to do some more growing with designers. I thought it was really cool and was excited to see what would be produced.
Then she pulled me aside and told me she wanted me to be one of the designers.
Y’all. There were so.many.emotions.
My Reaction To Becoming A Pattern Designer
You know how in movies and shows have those characters who finally get seen after putting in so much work? That was it. I’ve been an entrepreneur for 7.5 years and I’ve done a lot of great. I’ve won a couple of awards for one of my other sites, I’ve grown my consulting business, I’ve been working my behind off.
And I’ve done it while gaining weight, becoming uncomfortable in my skin, swallowing my discomfort, sharing tears as I’ve been fatshamed on my platforms and overall just not feeling good enough. I can’t put into words how good it feels to be seen by someone I really respect and admire but there were some screams, some tears, and intense feelings of appreciation coupled with a little imposter syndrome.
I want to make sure that I design patterns that make the plus sized community feel as seen as I do now and honestly, that’s a lot of pressure! It’s completely self-imposed and I know that. But I also know what it’s like to fall in love with a pattern only for it not to be offered in my size. I like feeling sexy. I like showing my curves. I like feeling beautiful in my clothing and this is something my designs will surely represent.
I’m really looking forward to the patterns dropping. I hope that you all are pleasantly surprised at the designs I create and I cannot waaaaait for you to see them!!!
