inspiring interviews: sarai mitnick of colette patterns

Inspiring Interviews is a new, occasional feature in which I will be chatting with creative individuals about their particular niche and what inspires them.

    

Sarai Mitnick is the creative imagination behind the lovely Sweet Sassafrass blog and her vintage-influenced pattern line Colette Patterns. Her projects and fashion musings on her blog have inspired me for quite some time, and I was delighted last year when I heard she was preparing to offer sewing patterns. Sarai asked me to test one of her excellent patterns (a review will be forthcoming!), upon which my excitement for this line began to build, and she has graciously allowed me to interview her in conjunction with Colette Patterns debut! Whether you are a fellow seamstress, or just appreciate beautiful clothes with a vintage aesthetic and a creative personality, I think you will enjoy this interview!

Thank you so much Sarai for doing this interview! Could you introduce yourself a bit; what is your background in sewing in design? Is there anyone who influenced you in this area of creativity, or is this an interest you developed yourself? Are you self taught?

Thanks for inviting me, Casey!

My grandmother originally taught me the basics of sewing when I was in high school, so I’ve been sewing for about 12 years now. Much of it is self-taught. I’m the sort of person who gets interested in something and obsessively researches, learns more, and tries to improve. So sewing is perfect for me because there’s always more to learn.

I started because I had an unusual (ok… weird) style as a teenager and wanted to make things I couldn’t find in the stores. At the time, I made a lot of crazily-patterned mini dresses and skirts with odd trims on them. My style has evolved a lot over time, and I think sewing has helped me in that regard. It really allows you to explore your individual style, rather than relying on what other people are producing for large markets. Right now, I like a combination of feminine vintagey cuts with a modern subtlety to them.

My professional background is in User Experience, and I think those skills have really translated into the business as well. I wanted my patterns to be objects of delight in themselves, easy to use, and projects people would feel excited about diving into.

You talk a bit about fashion and memory on your site; do you find that memories of past garments influence your current design? Where do you find inspiration for coming up with new designs?

Clothing is such an important part of our life and culture, but most people think about it in the context of consumerism and frivolity. But I think it’s like food. If you spend time and make a meal yourself from your favorite fresh ingredients, you will remember it and cherish it so much more than a cheap fast food snack. And it will nourish you more.

A lot of my inspiration comes from the past, vintage clothing I’ve owned over the years, or just styles from previous decades. I especially love the “golden era” of the 1930s and 1940s. They have such a timeless, adaptable quality that works just as well today. Vintage lingerie is another huge inspiration, because I think it’s so incredibly flattering and comfortable. The Chantilly dress pattern, for example, was partially inspired by a frothy white 1960s nightgown I discovered at a thrift store in LA. It just had the most gorgeous, flattering shape. I felt so pretty in it, I wanted one in every color!

I’m really inspired by the everyday women of my grandmothers’ generation, who might spend their evenings crafting beautiful dresses or doing incredible needlework or knitting for their loved ones. I’d like to think I can help keep that sort of practical art alive today.

How did you develop the Colette Pattern line? Did you come up with a number of garments and whittle them to the final offering? Or was it a more organic process?

I am like a magpie, I collect and organize inspiration constantly. I have a moleskine sketchbook I carry around all the time to jot ideas and little details I like. So when it was time to create the collection, I had a lot of ideas to start with. I knew I wanted to start with a focus on dresses with one or two separates and build from there. I also wanted them to be timeless and somewhat trans-seasonal. I came up with a list of criteria and gradually pared down the ideas to something I felt was varied, versatile, and beautiful.

I’m dying to ask: are you a draper or drafter when it comes to pattern development?

I am a drafter, for sure! I do a little draping now and then, but I love the versatility of flat pattern drafting. Also, I like math and puzzles.

I love the name “Colette”–it always makes me think of a glamorous gal from the 1920s! What’s the story behind the name?

Colette is the name of my beautiful cat, but she in turn was named after the French writer, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (whose pen name was simply Colette). Colette was a free thinker and a brilliant writer, and her novels and stories are wonderful depictions of experiencing life through the senses.

You mentioned some of the current fashion collections recently on your blog: do you have a favorite designer (or multiple designers!) that you feel never fails to inspire you?

So many! I’ve always loved Lanvin and Chanel, but there are so many great designers these days. Right now, I’ve been really enjoying Luella, Temperley, Luisa Beccaria, Zac Posen. My all time favorite collection was Marc Jacobs Fall 2004. It is endlessly inspiring as a modern take on vintage style.

What is your dream for Colette Patterns? Say in five years, where do you envision yourself and your business?

I’d love for Colette Patterns to be widely available in independent shops around the country and beyond! I want them to be beloved by sewists, and to have an opportunity to expand the line a great deal. I’d love to do patterns for some sassy loungewear, accessories, even knitting patterns! My dream is to have a line that would allow someone to craft an entire beautiful, personalized wardrobe. I just want to make pretty canvases for other women to experiment on.

Any final thoughts you’d like to share? Any favorite links, resources, etc.?

One book I can’t recommend enough is The Art of Manipulating Fabric by Colette Wolff. It may be my favorite sewing book. It’s basically a huge resource of ideas for different techniques that can be applied to fabric: shirring, tucking, pleating, etc. It’s a great inspiration for customizing your sewing!

For fabric, I just love Fashion Fabrics Club. There are so many sites selling fun cotton prints that are really great for quilting. But I find that for clothing, the things I really want to wear are just great solid colors and textures. This is where you can get silk in a range of colors at very reasonable prices.

I’ll also recommend Vintage Sewing, though it may be old news to some. They’ve digitized a number of public domain sewing books. It’s a great reference!

I love making clothing, I really feel it brings a whole other level of enjoyment to what I wear. Colette Patterns really gives me an opportunity to share that joy with others, and I’m so grateful for that!

Thank you again, Sarai! I hope you all enjoyed this interview; be sure to keep your eyes peeled for my review of the Colette Pattern that I tested!