Interview with Brittany Alphonso
Brittany Alphonso designs clothes for the little ones in our lives. She will be presenting at Jacksonville Fashion Week 2013. Many of her models are/were patients of Wolfson's Children's Hospital. She answers our questions about her work, process and goals.
What fabrics do you like to use? Why?
I love linen, lace and vintage buttons! I love to dip dye my own fabrics and I've found that linen and lace are perfect for dyeing. With linens I'm able to create pieces with clean lines, sturdy construction yet comfortable enough to wear all day. Lace is just so beautiful, whether it's ruffled at the neck or a lace overlay dress. Lace just adds so much personality to the design. All the pieces I create are designed with inspiration from our fashion history. When finishing my design I always find some way to include a vintage button or two.
What do you want to say with your style?
My style really changes with the seasons. This Spring I'm really focusing on a classic vintage semi formal. However, the closer I get to Summer the more my Nautical / Beach style really shines.
Which designers are you inspired by?
This is a really hard question for me. Being a Mom to three kids under 5 it is impossible for me to stay up to date with the who's who in the fashion world. If you asked me to name 5 designers it might take me a couple days and a lot of research just to answer. However, I'm lucky enough to dream in color. My dreams bring me inspiration on a nightly basis. I sometimes wake in the middle of the night to draw a design I saw in my dream :) I'm inspired by fabrics, I can just look at a print and know exactly what I'm going to do with it. I do give credit to my dear friend, Serene Moss. Serene is always there to bring me up to date with amazing fashion ideas that I can run with.
Where are you at in your career? What are your goals?
I'm right where I need to be. I'm so happy to be designing and creating for my own children's clothing company. I'm a firm believer that if you are doing what makes you truly happy than there is nothing holding you back from your dreams! Banana Bread Baby is going into it's third year and has moved in one direction, forward. I love when people send me pictures from across the nation of their kids dressed in clothes I personally designed and made. It fills me with great joy and a sense of accomplishment knowing that all my hard work is paying off tremendously. I have many goals but I would really like to see my line of clothing and everyday baby goods in boutiques across the nation.
What do you want Jacksonville to know about you?
I'm honored to have this opportunity and so proud to be designing for this years Jacksonville Fashion Week. I'm overwhelmed with excitement being a part of this show benefiting Wolfson's Children's Hospital. 7 of the 15 models for Banana Bread Baby's show this year are and/or were patients to the Wolfson's children's hospital. Children that may have not had a chance to live life to it's fullest potential without the care they received from Wolfson's.
GO JAGS! Thanks for the interview _ Brittany Alphonso