Rebecca Stirm is the mastermind, or should I say masterhands, behind Fancy Purple Paint clothing line. She is a down to earth person, extremely talented, seemingly unfazed by her success and filled with energy. This attitude has made her line increasingly popular in Belize and with the recent success of her last fashion show; Rebecca Stirm is certainly one of Belize’s most promising designers. Goodluck to you Rebecca on your Vancouver trip and the Fancy Purple Paint Clothing line. Fancy Purple paint will be available mostly for pre-order until September when Rebecca comes back to achieve great things…and do your orders.

Until then check out a short interview by BZHypeMeter with her about her clothing line and support great Belizean talent.

When did you start designing?

Well, there was never one day where I suddenly began designing clothing, its been a slow process and skill I’ve developed over quite a few years. Growing up, I constantly was experimenting with and exploring numerous forms of art, I guess you could say that art comes naturally to me in more ways than one. Of all my artistic endeavors though, clothing was definitely my most challenging. Coming up with ideas and sketching them is definitely the easy part; the work and skills that I’ve had to learn come into play when I begin the actual construction of the garment. I giggle now, looking back at some of the pieces I created at thirteen and fourteen. It’s amazing to see how much I’ve developed and learned over the last few years through simple trial and error.

What are some ways you are inspired for your designs?

Hmm, I wouldn’t exactly call it inspiration, but there are quite a few things that I have noticed triggering ideas in my mind [Upholstery, curtains, figure types, textures, colors, and movements]. Sometimes I see curtains and can picture a dress from the material, or I see a figure type and an idea will pop into my head of a design that would flatter that specific body type. I experiment a lot with fabric types and garment shapes and have found many times my best pieces come from experimentation; I seem to be most inspired when I am experimenting.

What are some of the challenges with designing in Belize?

I haven’t faced many challenges [maybe because I enjoy being challenged, I don’t notice the challenges?]. Some may feel that because this is Belize there isn’t enough access to correct materials, but I don’t feel that way. Having a smaller selection of materials has helped me to learn to be more creative and inventive with the materials I have [For example, I sketch my patterns on wax paper instead of trying to find or import special pattern paper].

One challenge though that I have faced is marketing. I have had to learn so much about marketing my designs and ideas. I really believe that there is a market for fashion here in Belize, its just a matter of finding and connecting with that market.

 
What are some of the benefits for you, in being a clothing designer?

I would say that the #1 benefit for me is having the freedom to work flexible hours. I choose my own hours, so I am able to work the hours that I feel are best for me. You may be thinking that one of the benefits for me is being able to make my own clothing? Well, there is a big downside to my ability to create clothing. When I am out shopping, I refuse to buy things because I can make something in the same style in exactly my shape and size. Then I end up being busy making clothes for other people and never end up making anything for myself. So I design and create clothing, but still find myself looking into an empty closet, and it’s all my own fault!

What advice do you have for people getting into designing?

There are three things that I find essential for every design- math, pattern creation, and sewing skills-  I use a TON of math when transferring measurements into patterns and a lot of geometry when creating pattern shapes. . Almost anyone can put an idea of a fancy dress on paper, that isn’t the important part though. The important part of the design process is being able to take a three dimensional idea of a garment, figure out the shapes and proportions to turn that idea into flat one-dimensional pattern pieces, and sewing them together properly. Then you have a design. So again as I mentioned earlier, three key things- math, pattern creation, and sewing skills.

What do you want to do with Fancy Purple Paint in the future?

Great question, I ask myself the same thing . You know, a year ago I had absolutely no idea that I would be where I am at now. I hadn’t really envisioned this, or pictured myself here, but this is where I am and I’m very excited to have come this far in such a short time. Of course I have ideas, goals, and dreams of what I would like to see happen down the road, but for now I am committed to working hard on my designs and learning as much as I can in the process! This is just the beginning for me.

www.BZHypeMeter.com does not claim the rights to any photography used in this article.

The Sunny Season fashion show featuring the amazing Fancy Purple Paint  clothing line was held in Belmopan, Belize and I was in attendance. It was a bit of an adventure getting to Belmopan by 7 on a Friday evening but it was well worth it. Great designs, stunning Belizean models, a beautiful audience and a great atmosphere meant a great time.

 

Congragulations to Rebecca Stirm, the designer of ‘Fancy Purple Paint’, for pulling off a great show with stunning pieces. We will have more from Rebecca when she does an interview with BZHypeMeter.com in the near future.

For now, check out the rest of pics from the fashion show below. 

Jasfy just dropped the first few pieces of what promises to be a onslaught of new pieces from them in the next month for the Belizean Clothing line. Stay tuned!

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