New Beginnings + Big News!

I can’t believe it’s been almost two months since I’ve posted last! A lot has happened- one Omaha Fashion Week, thirteen custom prom dresses, one huge piece of news, and a fabric trip to Chicago later, there’s been a ton going on. 

I’m back today to share some awesome news + a new handmade addition to my own closet. 

First, the news! Almost exactly one year ago today, I presented my business plan for Hannah Caroline Couture at the University of Nebraska Omaha Business Plan Contest and became the first freshman to ever win it. That business plan contained a slide of my five-year goals, one of which was to show at Full-Figured Fashion Week, a week of shows and workshops devoted to the plus-size fashion industry. It was on my five-year plan because it was a pretty long shot for a little indie designer from Omaha, Nebraska to be considered. Nevertheless, I took the chance and applied, giving my best portfolio and pitching my best collection yet, and I GOT IN! I am so excited to head to New York City this June! 

Naturally, it’s kind of expensive to get from here to there, so I’ve got a little fundraising campaign going on over at Indiegogo. Check it out and consider donating to my travel fund at http://igg.me/at/hccnyc, if you would! Some awesome perks include custom clothing and even a ticket to my show. 

Part of heading to New York means I have to have a top-notch collection, and that’s gotta be made from top-notch materials. So, I headed to Chicago last weekend over my spring break and went to my favorite fabric store. I can’t wait to post sneak peeks in the coming weeks- jeweled appliqués, satin, and of course, scuba fabric/neoprene! 

Another find I scored over the weekend was a black open-weave crocheted fabric, which I will probably wear everyday in New York:

   

 

Kimonos are definitely my new obsession, so I whipped this up this afternoon. 

This project is the first of a new series of posts I’ll be doing, documenting the wardrobe I’ll be taking to the streets of NYC. See, I used to make myself clothes all the time. That’s why I started sewing in the first place. But once business started picking up about a year ago, I stopped being able to justify putting time and effort into making my own wardrobe, because I figured that time could be better spent making beautiful clothes for my clients.

But I’m going to be challenging myself over the next couple months to rediscover making my own wardrobe, to get in front of the camera a little more instead of hiding behind it, and to wear at least one of my own garments each day I’m in New York. So this kimono is more than a cute little spring coverup, it’s the start of a new journey.

Stay tuned for more looks over the next few weeks, and have an awesome week, everyone!