breathnaigh:

You honed your skills at Woolrich Woolen Mills, working with Daiki Suzuki of Engineered Garments for four years. How did that influence you?

Daiki is a really great teacher, and during those four years working with him, I had the chance to learn about all of the different elements that go into making clothes. It’s funny, because I never really expected to become a clothing designer. Sure, I’ve loved clothes my whole life, and since I was a teenager it’s been a serious passion. But I had never really thought about making my own clothes until I worked with Daiki. For example, my major in college was Business, and here at FIT I studied Marketing. My previous jobs in fashion were mostly in sales. When the chance came to be assistant designer for Daiki, though, I jumped at it immediately and found out how much I liked the design side of clothing. He taught me not only all the technical skills I needed but also how to use the knowledge about clothes that I’d been gathering since I was a kid.