Natasha Muromcew ’22 started designing clothes in elementary school when she sewed ball gowns for her Barbie dolls. Since then, she has developed an enduring passion for clothing design, enjoying the personal touch it adds to her style.
“I think the easiest way to express your own personal style is through making your own clothes…When I design [clothing] and make [it] myself, I know it’s exactly what I want. It’s going to fit exactly the way I want it to. I know it’s going to be flattering for me. [I like] the personalization and self-expression,” said Muromcew.
Muromcew taught herself about fashion design through the Internet. Even so, Muromcew has found she has a lot to learn regarding making clothes from scratch.
“I’ll often search up tutorials on how to make specific items, and I’ll use my own clothing as a pattern to make new stuff…The most challenging part is that I don’t know a lot about designing clothing or sewing. I do my best, but there’s just so much I don’t know,” said Muromcew.
Muromcew has also pieces she finds online for inspiration. In addition to gathering ideas from platforms like Pinterest, Muromcew watches runway shows to guide her vision.
“Watching fashion shows on my mobile phone late at night provides the greatest inspiration…I think [professional designers are] really impressive. They put a lot of work into their looks. With fast fashion, it’s not their own designs. It’s fun to wear, it’s cute, but it doesn’t have the same love and quality you’ll see when you’re watching a fashion show,” said Muromcew.
Recently, Muromcew has been inspired by previous eras of fashion, specifically ’90s fashion for its aesthetic and fit.
“[’90s] fashion is very simple and very flattering. 2000s fashion is really trendy right now, but I don’t find that clothing to be as flattering. Something I like about fashion is that you can use it [to] make yourself look good. I really like to take after an era of clothes where people looked good,” said Muromcew.
According to Caroline Empey ’22, Muromcew incorporates influence from various eras and artists into outfits that feel authentic.
“She’s definitely trendy, but it’s more timeless. You could wear [her clothing] today, or you could wear it in ten years. I think she has some influence from past decades. She’s very in style but not basic. It’s a little bit different from everyone else,” said Empey.
Although Muromcew is influenced by ’90s fashion, she does not subscribe to one stylistic category. According to Muromcew, the act of designing her own clothes has freed her from the constraints of abiding by a singular style.
“When you talk about aesthetics, it makes me think that you have to be in one category, but designing my own clothes has shown me that you can really be whatever…You can mix different aesthetics. You can blend different types of pieces together. You can really do what you personally want and not what you think is super trendy right now,” said Muromcew.
