Best Day Ever!

 

I have been working at a company called Nation Design for co-op, and I never want to leave! Nation Design is a private label design and manufacturing company that helps clients take their garments through all stages of production. When I mentioned in my interview that I am more interested in design and textiles than I am in business, I had no idea that they would literally throw me right into the design team! I have only been working for three months, but my responsibilities already include creating color palettes for collections, styling outfits for client presentations, participating in business and design meetings, creating trend boards, completing CAD sketches, selecting fabrics for garments, and the list goes on! I am exposed to all stages of garment production as well as business and marketing decisions on a daily basis. I have never had a boring day at work, and I am always on my feet. Everyone I work with treats me as if I am a full time employee, and I am given more and more exciting assignments as my time goes on.

 

Yesterday was an especially exciting day for me because one of my bosses, Maila, brought me to the Premiere Vision New York fabric show. I admit that I am a total nerd when it comes to textiles, so I was in heaven! It was like the Comic Con of textiles. There were hundreds of fabric, trim, and accessory companies lined up in booths to explore, and I could have stayed for days. I got to sit in on a meeting with a trim company from France where we decided what trims we could potentially use in upcoming seasons. Nation Design has many clients in diverse markets such as catalog and TV. It is very interesting to learn the reasoning behind fabric and trim decisions and why these decisions are made differently for each market. After exploring different booths (and touching the most incredible textures!), we sat in on a seminar discussing the immersion of fashion and technology and what it means for the future. This whole experience opened my eyes to how complex textiles can be, and it only made me more excited to keep learning while I’m here. I am in love with my job, and I am ready to keep exploring the worlds of design and textiles!