Editor's note: For two weeks, Fashionably Cleveland is paying homage to up-and-coming local designers. Each story subject is a graduating senior at Kent State University, and each story is written by another KSU student. Keep an eye out for these emerging fashion designers - you'll surely be hearing more about them in the future.
Natalie Jupp always loved art and shopping while growing up in Cincinnati. She enjoyed being creative, and when she began learning how to sew in high school, she was guided in the direction of studying fashion design at Kent State University. Natalie chose to major in technical design, dealing with pattern making and construction of garments.
Every senior design student must complete a final project before graduation, a project consisting of the creation of a collection. Students design and create a number of looks with the hopes that they will be seen in the spring fashion show.
Natalie’s collection was inspired by historic Czechoslovakian costume with a modern Bohemian flare. The shapes, fabrics and silhouettes give it a more contemporary twist. Natalie looks to contemporary designers such as Gucci for inspiration and ideas.
The collection looks amazing, though it was a long journey reaching the final product. The hardest part of creating the collection for Natalie was the immense amount of time that was needed to complete the necessary steps.
“It was a lot of work to fit in all one semester,“ Natalie said. She endured many all-nighters to complete the work on her 13 pieces. There were weekly deadlines to complete each step in the process, from sketches to muslins to final completed pieces. After the looks were completed, there was little time left to find the perfect accessories to complement the garments. The process took a great deal of commitment not only physically, but also financially. The collection cost about $2,500 to complete.
Although hard work and extensive amounts of time were necessary to complete the collection, Natalie did get some time to enjoy herself along the way. While studying in New York City for a semester, she was able to find a little time to choose the fabrics she would use for the pieces.
“It started to come to life once I chose my fabrics,” Natalie said. Her collection features fall colors that all fit together. She also uses fun fabrics like leather and fur to create her jackets, which are her favorite pieces in the collection.
Natalie describes her collection as contemporary, fun, eclectic and colorful with an unanticipated 1970s flare. Originally, she hoped to create garments that would be targeted towards a younger customer; however, as the garments came together, it became apparent that an older customer would also wear some of the pieces.
Natalie’s collection appeared in the spring Re:Create fashion show with most of her senior classmates’ collections. However, her fashion career will not end there. After college, Natalie hopes to begin a career in trend research or even begin teaching. She hopes to find a career where she can also balance having a family.
