Inspiration Behind Our Designs

The other day, my publicist asked me where I get my design inspiration from, asking if Pinterest was a source. I had to catch myself, because my immediate reaction was… defensive.

Not because there’s anything wrong with Pinterest. I love it and am an avid user myself, but because in fashion school, looking at Pinterest and others designers’ work was a big no-no.

I learned that the hard way after one of my very first presentations where I included sleeve techniques from Alexander McQueen. I got a little side comment afterwards from the professor. She was… appalled to say the least. Thank god no guest critics were there!

In my Master’s program at FIT, we were constantly presenting our work, everything from our designs and inspiration to our research and reasoning. It happened so often that I quickly realized I couldn’t just have fun ideas. I had to explain them and where they came from.

I had to learn the language of my creativity and find the words to describe my process.

Why this sleeve?

Why this fabric?

Why this color?

I could no longer let ideas vaguely live in my head. Everything needed an intention and a reason.

And in that process, I had to learn something I had never really been taught before: the language of my own creativity.

In my second year in school, we had an incredible professor who pushed this even further. She had us define our entire Creative Universe through “code words.” We had to define our artistic references, historical influences, color palettes, graphic style, even our muse (see two slides below). There was no Chat-gpting your way through your final presentation after that 😉.

My codes:

• Southern Whimsy

• Cherished

• Nomadic Luxe

• Spiritual

(Comment below if you want me to write more about my codes!)

It was, without a doubt, the most valuable thing I learned in school. For the first time, I started to understand what actually makes my designs, well, me. I started to learn what makes me tick. What I love and reference. And also, what I hate and is not me.

As a designer, I think this kind of self-awareness is everything. Without it, it’s so easy to design lacking a purpose. To copy, to second guess, to lose your point of view entirely.

And truthfully, this is exactly why I wanted to go to FIT in the first place.

I wasn’t as interested in learning how to sew or make a pattern (not that they really teach you that anyway). I wanted to understand my voice.

Who am I as a designer? What do my designs say? Who am I designing for?

And that’s what I left with.

A confidence in going my own way. A confidence in defining my ideas. A confidence in knowing my customer.

I wanted to take a moment to share with you all a little bit more about this creative universe of mine, a universe I welcome you all into!

Color is the heartbeat of so many of my designs. It’s often the very first element I think of, the part I spend the most time on, and the thread that carries a collection all the way through, from the initial concept to the final photoshoot backdrop.

The palettes I’m drawn to are pulled from a variety of places, but more often than not, they come from…

• The natural world

• Architecture

• Interiors

• Art

A few examples:

I’ve always loved the color combinations of Henri Matisse, they feel unexpected, yet so intentional. They are perfection.

When I travel, I think I take more photos of exteriors and doors than I do of myself. I’ll always stop for a beautifully painted facade, or a flower in the exact right shade of pink that I reference for next season’s print. Shop our Mimi Set below, which was inspired by the chartreuse greens seen around Portugal.

My parents have also been a constant source of inspiration when it comes to color.

Growing up with two artists meant I was surrounded by paints, fabrics, and colored pencils constantly, and I think those instincts for certain shades of pink or green seeped into me before I even realized it.

Chartreuse > lime green.

Hunter green > kelly green.

Magenta > deep purple.

My dad’s palette is expressive, instinctive, and bold. Sometimes it’s grounded with pops of bright colors tucked into unexpected places. Other times, it’s high-impact and unapologetic. Somehow, his combinations feel both surprising and cohesive at the same time. He’s also always loved a good chocolate brown, hunter green, and deep navy, even in his wardrobe.

My mom, on the other hand, leans brighter. Corals, teals, punchy pinks. In her art, she layers a handful of hues into abstract compositions that feel joyful and energetic but still harmonious.

Somewhere in between my mom and dad’s palettes is where you will find me. Pulled toward contrast, but always searching for balance. Drawn to the bright hues my mom loves but with the unexpected combos of my dad.

Color has been part of my DNA for as long as I can remember, and I always know when I have found right shade of a color when it makes me feel excited and joyful.

Color brings me to print. If you know me or Brooks Avenue, you probably know my love for print. Oftentimes, print is where many of my design ideas emerge.

Each print has a different story of how it came to be, and when it comes to what actually inspires the prints, it’s rarely just one thing.

Some prints start with my mom’s artwork, which is often layered and abstract, and I usually let the art lead the process. There is such a sense of depth and texture in those prints that there’s a delicate balance of preserving the richness and original brushstrokes while refining it into something that feels intentional and wearable. These prints go through quite a bit of transformation. Layered, re-worked, and pushed around in Photoshop until something entirely new emerges.

Some come more easily. A 30-min sesh playing around with scale and layout and suddenly a pattern reveals itself and it’s perfect.

Others come from my very own work.

Lately, I’ve started painting myself. (The apple doesn’t fall far I guess). And I’ve found there there is something about working on a different kind of canvas that unlocks new ideas. For SS27, I’ve been painting directly onto objects, like a picture frame, and then translating those designs into repeat and placement prints. It feels less expected, and more intuitive.

When it comes to print design, my inspiration originates from a multitude of places... A tile motif I find on the streets of Portugal. A scrap of wallpaper tucked away in my grandfather’s basement. The pattern of a leaf.

I’m constantly collecting these fragments of inspiration, storing them away, layering them together, and reshaping them into something that feels entirely new. Even when I come across a motif or shape I love, I rarely leave it untouched. I instinctively start shifting it. Changing the scale, adjusting the colors, combining it with something else. It’s in that process that I start to realize just how many influences are at play and where my own POV comes in.

For me, the real magic of the design process happens when the print meets the silhouette. That is where the scale, detail, and color all come together.

Explore our original prints.

When it comes to silhouette, I have a two primary sources of design inspiration:

1. Vintage

2. My parents

There’s something about vintage styles that pull me in. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of old photographs or the stories embedded in a well-loved piece, but I’ve always been drawn to the classic shapes and thoughtful details you don’t see as often today. Vintage silhouettes feel timeless, yet somehow still fresh compared to so much of modern clothing. I love browsing through old Vogue patterns in sewing stores and 70’s fashion.

Now you might be wondering how the heck my parents come into play here. However, both how they dress and shop has influenced my preference for timeless, wearable silhouettes.

My dad instilled in me a love for classic wardrobe pieces. He’s always been an outfit repeater, in the best way. He has a uniform that he returns to again and again, just in different color ways. He’s always gravitated towards pieces that feel timeless, dependable, and never overcomplicated, which has influenced my love for a classic styles like our Kaftan or an easy, no-fuss top like our Frankie Blouse.

His consistency has shaped how I think about longevity in my designs as well.

He showed me what it looks like to invest in pieces you love and actually wear them, take care of them, and keep them in your closet for years.

My mom, on the other hand, has always had this effortless, intuitive sense of style, something I think she inherited from my grandmother (who, to this day, I would absolutely hire as my personal stylist).

She’s always been drawn to silhouettes that feel easy but elevated: a great shirtdress, a ruffled blouse, or a classic kaftan. She was my muse, for example, when designing our Rosy Jacket.

Silhouette was an area I was especially stretched and pushed in fashion school. I had a professor who loved an unexpected seam, or a sleeve with a slightly offbeat shape. She pushed us to look deeper, to question proportion, and to experiment with scale. And it often led me to new and interesting ideas, many of which have not seen the light of day… yet!

However, my go-to thought process with silhouette is honing in on shapes that already make people feel good. Pieces that feel flattering, comfortable, and a little elevated all at once—like our Georgia Dress or Banyan Dress. Sometimes the magic is in taking something familiar and making it feel special through proportion, color, or detail.

Details are my favorite part of the  process, and I find design inspiration for them everywhere. Truly.

It might be…

The tile work in a bathroom, which was the inspiration of our Laser Cut Set.

An iron gate I stumble across while traveling.

The way shadows fall across a street.

Other times,

it’s a flower in my grandfather’s garden,

or a scrap of trim I find in the garment district.

The details you see on Brooks Avenue pieces always have a story behind them, and those are the moments that make my heart skip a beat. They’re the small touches that make a big impact, elevating a style and making storytelling so much fun. Sometimes, it’s even the details that I design an entire series around. A vintage piece of art or antique quilt might spark a new idea that leads to five other ideas.

I love translating what I notice in the world into something tangible: a large-scale embroidery, a delicate appliqué, a piece of laser cutwork. It’s often where I bring in texture, dimension, and a sense of discovery.

They’re also what make a piece feel like one of my Creative Universe codes: Cherished.

To me, details are what transform a design into something you can love, style, and wear season after season, year after year. They’re the reason behind the level of craftsmanship in each piece, and the reason I love sharing my work.

At Brooks Avenue, all of our fabrics are original. Whether that’s fabric digitally printed with original artwork, a custom Terry cloth Jacquard, or an all-over embroidery developed specifically for a piece, like the one here.

Creating my own textiles is what makes the garments feel special and different to me, and it’s where the personality of a piece begins.

I’m often drawn to natural fibers, especially crisp cotton poplins and soft cotton voiles. I love their breathability, their ease, the way they move, and most importantly, how they live in someone’s everyday life.

Choosing natural materials also aligns with my goal of creating clothing that is thoughtful and long-lasting. Pieces you reach for again and again, which is ultimately more sustainable than shopping a blouse you wear three times then ditch.

That said, fabrications is an area I’m excited to keep exploring! A dream of mine is to develop a custom jacquard or brocade. Something woven entirely from an original design. That idea first took root after witnessing the most beautiful fabrics come to life in Italy (see below).

Design inspiration is rarely linear. It’s messy, intuitive, and sometimes hard to track, especially when you get lost in a flow state. For me, I found each part of the design process pulls from a different place in my life: art, travel, interior design, color, texture, even the smallest everyday moments, like the way a shadow is casted on the kitchen floor. Some influences are obvious, and some are so embedded in me I don’t even realize they’re there until later.

If you’re a fellow creative, you’re probably also constantly storing away inspiration. My camera roll is busting at the seams with inspiration from all different parts of life, from my travels to museums to old magazine clippings. It can be overwhelming, and it can be easy to find yourself replicating what someone else has done, thinking it will work for you too.

In a world where inspiration moves quickly and ideas are constantly being reinterpreted, you often start to see similarities across the industry. For me, that’s a reminder of how important it is to stay rooted in your own point of view and to take inspiration and transform it into something distinctly your own.

My best piece of advice (that I am still in the process of) is to get to know yourself as a designer.

What makes you tick.

What do you love and why.

What can you do differently.

What can your perspective offer to a customer.

Inspiration may be shared, but perspective is what makes it original.