I heard about Jesica Milton via the Socialbees “Awesome hour” on Twitter and was immediately interested.  Jesica graduated from the same design school as Kimberlee from Deco Modiste – the New York Fashion Academy – AND was a winner in the “Emerging Designers” category for the 2009 Seattle Magazine, “Seamless in Seattle” competition. Jesica tweeted a little review via The Proprietress, which reminded me to check out her line.

I’m so glad I saw the post on The Proprietress, because the pieces Jesica is creating are COMPLETELY gorgeous.  From her Autumn/Winter 2009 collection, imagine wearing this luxurious piece to a night on the town with your tallest shoes and a little black satin clutch:

Double flounce hem sleeveless tunic dress. 100% silk.

As soon as I saw the line I knew I had to get in touch with Jesica and find out what makes this designer tick. Her designs are eloquent and her attitude towards creating statement pieces is inspired, yet down to earth.

Birdie: What is the inspiration for your current collection (Autumn/Winter 2009)?
Jesica: My inspiration comes from a combination of experimental draping and from imagining what pieces my dream wardrobe would include. Fall 2009 developed with the idea of taking a ruffle and morphing it into different shapes to incorporate it into the garments.

Birdie: Which is your favorite piece from your collection?  Where would you wear it?
Jesica: My favorite piece from the collection is the party dress. I own it in black and it’s my go-to dress to wear to parties & social occasions. It’s very comfortable and can be easily dressed up or down depending on the accessories & shoes it’s worn with.
(By the way, we LOVE when designers wear their own garments – it’s a testament to how much they believe in themselves!)

Party dress with double flounce hem and racerback. 100% silk.

Birdie: You went to the New York Fashion Academy – what made you want to pursue fashion design?
Jesica: I’ve experimented with various artistic mediums, but what really captured me about creating clothing was the fact that it is functional. For me it’s a thrill to see something I created being worn by somebody else and essentially becoming a part of their daily life.

Birdie: What is the most important lesson you learned at NYFA that you took with you post-graduation?
Jesica: One thing that was really drilled into our heads was the fact that you won’t be a designer for long if you can’t sell what you’ve designed. It can be a challenge, but you have to design with your customer base in mind, and learn how to merge your ideas with their wants and needs.

Birdie: Do you have any advice for aspiring designers?
Jesica: Be prepared to work harder than you expected to, a big part of designing a clothing line has nothing to do with design! A lot of your time will be spent on tasks like sourcing, marketing, sales, research, bookkeeping, and planning production. Keeping up with all of those tasks can be draining on your creative energies, so it’s best to start small and take baby steps.
(Truth!!)

Jesica’s designs are elegant and versatile enough to integrate into any wardrobe.  Beginning in August, Jesica’s designs will be available at 440 Brannan in San Francisco, and Habit in Chicago. Seattle ladies can email Jesica to make an appointment to shop directly from the studio.

I want to thank Jesica for the chance to talk about her line and I encourage you to do the same by contacting her at JesicaMilton.com or via Twitter!

Cheers, Jesica!

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1. New Top
2. NYFW Envy!
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