I woke up in a panic a while back. My brain felt like it would explode. Why hadn’t I designed any clothes for JulieApple? I had my own company, why had I refused to live my dreams? You see, I never meant to be a bag designer. That was something that happened while I was trying to design clothes. I needed to know what the point was in slashing and burning my career if not to pursue my passion? So I got up and started sketching.

You may wonder how I forgot what I was supposed to be doing? Well….

Some girls dream of growing up to be a fashion designer. It never occurred to me. I started college majoring in music with a minor in theater/communications. Trying out the wrong major convinced me I needed to do something completely different. I even managed to convince my parents that fashion design is a responsible major. Yup! Once they agreed to let me major in music, anything else seemed more lucrative. Right? Fashion school was chaos. I earned degrees in fashion design from F.I.T. and The University of Delaware. By the time I graduated, I had attended three colleges over four years. I attended summer and winter terms, skipping breaks to finish on time. I was in a one-woman marathon race to the finish line in six-inch platforms. (I wish I could find the pictures.) Once I finished, I was at a loss how to actually get a job in the business. I was lost in South Jersey – an epic distance from the real action in New York. I snagged interviews in New York and Boston and beyond with bridal houses. No one was hiring. I now know they interviewed me because they thought I would beg to be an unpaid intern. Free labor! Yeah! It makes the fashion industry buzz. For me, the only way back to the City and out of my parents’ house was a “real job.” Paid.

My first “real job” was full of opportunities. I was back in city, in design departments at all kinds of design companies, even the big Fortune 500 companies. I was invited to speak to the CEO of Liz Claiborne about technology and the future of design a year after I graduated. Within two years I was teaching a design class at Parsons! All of this was amazing, but I was not designing. I was working on cutting edge CAD software. I could make CAD do amazing things, but I was not making amazing things with my own ideas.

I had to get back to designing. I was not getting anywhere finding a new job without any hands-on design experience. I landed a job with LeSportsac, designing bags and prints. There was no shortage of hands-on experience there. Nine years later I was VP of Design, and still not pursing my passion. To those of you with designer ambitions, take note! This is how most fashion careers go. We end up designing what people pay us to design. I loved my job, but I was ready for a change, a big change. I started JulieApple. At the same time I consulted. My first “paid” apparel project was bullet-proof vests for ladies. Sometimes fashion is as important as life and death. More apparel companies hired me and I designed everything and anything for them.

Things were going swimmingly until I woke up wondering what happened to my design ambitions. Once you start talking to yourself, it is really hard to kick the habit.

FATE! One day a woman walked into my Design Studio and asked me to do an eco fashion show, Raleigh Redress. I decided to show JulieApple dresses too. Finally I had a reason to drop everything and pull a collection together of dresses for ladies, tweens and toddlers. I wasnted JulieApple to be a collection of wearable pieces that are elegant and comfortable, sexy and versatile. Every piece was made from Repreve®’s RPET fabrics. There are maxi dresses, mini tunics, wrap dresses, swing tops and more to come. I was so moved by everyone who volunteered their time and talents to pull together a gorgeous showing of innovative, passionate designers. My models were poised and lovely. My daughters pitched in to show the tween pieces. Words cannot express what it meant to follow my dream and to take a bow with my daughters and the Raleigh Redress community. Thanks for the opportunity to work with a community of talented designers who care deeply about design. Check out the photos in the image galleryto the right.

What can you buy from the JulieApple apparel collection? Standby for details. I am obsessing over finding the perfect materials, creating the perfect fit and the best construction methods. What about JulieApple bags? I have a slew of new ideas in the works. I love a good bag; with function and perfect print and I know you do too.

XO,

Julie