Good design should empower the wearer. It should make them feel like they are the most amazing person and even if no one sees it, the wearer knows it to be true.
For me, my best design work comes from a need or a want being fulfilled and finding inspiration in the things around me.
So how did I end up designing a range of knickers?
I’ve had a rough start to the year. I’ve been unwell and instead of being out enjoying the amazing summer, I’ve been stuck indoors trying to get better. In doing so I did a few things
- pledged to make a huge go of destashing my enormous amount of fabric
- cleaned out my closet including the underwear drawer.
- read Pride and Prejudice for the millionth or more time
- got totally hooked on The Lizzie Bennett diaries – a You Tube series of the modern day version of Pride and Prejudice, highly addictive and awesome
In no particular order these things made me realise that there is a little bit of the Pride and Prejudice characters in all of us, that the story is still relevant in modern times and that miles of pretty fabrics and trims could be turned into really lovely practical, cute and sexy knickers.
Teaming up with my sister a professional patternmaker we got to work. I did the designs, she made the patterns, I made the samples, she did the alterations, I wrote the instructions. It was very much a back and forth with each of us using our strengths.
Now I like pretty knickers, but I know that for lots of people they just want something simple, no fuss, easy and that’s what I want some of the time too.
So how to design a product for the no fuss practical ladies and the ones who might want a bit more?
Easy, we have included you in the design process.
In each pattern pack you will get
1 – the pattern in sizes 6 to 18 (Australian sizes)
2- the instruction booklet. For many of them you can have your choice of woven fabric and sew it up as per the instructions and you will have a totally serviceable pair of knickers.
3 -The Designer Manual. Here we teach you the tricks of the trade, where you take a simple silhouette and you build on it with trims, colours, fabrics. You even get a page of silhouettes for you to come up with your own ideas.
Each style has been named after one of the amazing ladies of Pride and Prejudice. If you find yourself more like the wild and free Lydia then there is a style for you. More like the conservative and practical Charlotte then there is one for you too. You can see my Pride and Prejudice Pinterest board here and each style has it’s own Pinterest board as well so we can add all the variations of the style to help inspire you more.
Hopefully everyone finds a little bit of themselves in these styles and rewards themselves with some pretty knickers and a chance to try out being their own designer.
Take the inspiration from you around, from what you love, what makes you smile and design something that will make you feel like the amazing person you are.
