I am in my senior year at Valley Forge Christian College, and am receiving my BA in Psychology. I've always loved art and the many ways it allows someone to express their personality. I used to never like carrying a purse, but then I realized that I just didn't have the right one! So I started designing my own purses since my senior year in high school and have officially started my own line this past December. It is in the beginning stages, however it is growing a lot faster than my hands can sew!

I really love durable and sturdy fabrics. Canvas, duck cloth, and even upholstery fabrics are just some of the materials I like to use for my purses. Also even unique pieces such as jackets are fun to play around with and design with. My target audience is mainly between the ages of 13 - 30, since some purses are more playful and whimsical than others. My inspiration really is art and close friends of mine. Seeing what they like and testing different styles on them has helped me grow immensely as a designer.

My line started simply because of my desire to use art in any way shape or form. I have been making and designing for quite some time, but never thought to create a line out of it. Art to me is limitless and seeing how much my family, friends, and even strangers that saw my designs enjoyed it made me want to start a line of my own. "Freedom to Soar" is the phrase that best describes my approach to designing unique handbags and purses. I feel most designers are conservative and focus on traditional themes that are safe, predictable, and familiar. In the end, this approach stifles creativity and limits individual self expression. "In a herd of zebras everyone looks the same!" Instead of conformity, it's better to return to our inner child where there are no boundaries to our imagination and we have the freedom to soar into a world filled with possibilities!

My worst design nightmare was when I attempted to sew leather! Not being very experienced with that material I completely ruined my machine and had to let it recover for several days...it still hasn't been the same since!  My greatest achievement has been actually launching this line. I never thought that my hobby and love of sewing could actually get me to a place where I could consider doing this full-time. My very first purse was made out of hot glue since I had no sewing machine, so to see where I am today has made me push myself harder and this opportunity makes it worth it especially!