A Childhood Rediscovery: My Journey Back to Fashion Design!

Let's start with "Never shrink yourself to fit in, nor settle for mediocracy". Always push to learn and become better than yesterday!" Being from the Midwest, while I love being a Midwesterner, it too often comes with blending in with the crowd to fit in. Diversity even among people who you believe are your peers, is often not an option growing up nor as an adult, so if you are one who internally fights to be who you are it is always an uphill battle to get over that mountain, but it is a battle you must wage to find and become your genuine self. This mantra of never shrinking yourself to fit in, came intuitively to me as I didn't try to shrink or stand out, I just always found it challenging to be me and I fluctuated between both. Thank God, for second, third, and fourth changes to get it right or closer to your genuine self. Getting closer to your genuine self means you grow where you are planted, but closely watch the seeds you have planted for growth into a bountiful beauty of gifts. Bountiful beauty that represents who you are and what you have dreamed of. So trust and believe in your abilities, and your capabilities but most importantly trust that God made you in all your uniqueness. Now on with my rediscovery and reconnection to my childhood dream and journey to fashion design. And, remember, it's never too late to follow or rediscover your dreams. The time during covid, especially 2021 was a time of mixed emotions. So much internal pain, yet so much joy. There were so many deaths nationwide, including my son. He passed not because of covid, but a tragic car accident. He was my only child, and with the help of friends and family, I was able to get through. There are other blog posts about my son, Treye Jenkins Smith, I've written. It was also during this painful time, I rediscovered my teenage dream of becoming a fashion designer. Like many during Covid,(in October of 2021), one month before my son's death, I began looking for ways to soothe my soul and uplift my spirit.I began fashion sketching something that I had did as a teenager and something that I thought was gone. I was surprised that I could still sketch. My first sketch was of a sheer, blue overlay dress. I loved it. Then my son died, less than a month later. I was plunged into grief and planning art memorial service for him with the help of his father and my ex-husband, Thurman Smith. His father was a great help and support. I needed encouragement and he provided this as I plowed through. He would say, Karen, I'm proud of what you are doing. You have done Treye good. I needed that more than I realized. He gave me confidence and I went through this journey solo. Planning a funeral or memorial delays a lot of the pain because it forces you to make decisions and focus on the many tasks at hand. But, while planning I came up with ideas to represent his memorial through his artwork & to give away pieces of his artwork. Giving always feels like a good thing to do. And, bam.. another thing happened while copying his artwork in our public library's Maker's Space. I also discovered in our local library a sewing class. I signed up fo for the class; it was therapeutic for me. It helped me so much during this time I did both. Once I copied Treye's artwork for the day, I took the sewing class afterward. It was like riding a bicycle, I just got on it and rode in the wind. That was Nov 2021, and since that time I have not looked back. I reunited with sewing and fashion design and it gave me an outlet for my grief and loss and, unbeknownst to me a lifelong hobby and passion. It gave me hope and it lifted my spirits. Here is my first sketch

The following year, through trial and error I figured a way to make pattern pieces combining a shirt pattern, and a long dress pattern together to turn the sketch into a live fashion piece. This was my first fashion design. As a kid, my mother sent me to Sear's & Roebuck sewing classes where I learned to make outfits from pattern. I loved it, but I never created something of my own. Fifty years+, here I am. Blessed to rediscover latent gifts.

Wearing my very first fashion design at Columbus Fashion Week! Who gonna check me boo! Attending the Columbus Finale Fashion Week event, a lovely lady who was serving the VIP guests asked me who was I wearing...I was proud to say...I'm wearing my design. She looked and said oh wow...your outfit is one of my favorites. She goes into she is a student doing interviews..and wants to interview me...I obliged! Lol..she asked me to twirl and I obliged again!

I've made a couple adjustments to the overlay dress, by adding a new fastener. I had somthing else in mind, but this is what I could find and I think it works fine. I also added a little more flare to the fastener by extending a sash bow piece onto it! Create as I go..and one thing leads to another...that's creativity.