The final pieces of the collection you’ve all been waiting for (or at least I have) are finally here!
In a world of fast fashion and instant consumption, I’ve always felt drawn to slow, intentional design, pieces that hold meaning and take time to create, and that is exactly what Tiled Treasures, my MFA thesis collection is about.
For those of you who are new here, or may not know, I didn’t actually study fashion design in undergrad. I was at UNC Chapel Hill studying Ad & PR, while also creating my own interdisciplinary major in Creative Design (because I couldn’t quite pick just one lane).
It wasn’t until a year after graduating and working for LA-based brand, BURU, that I found myself moving to New York to attend FIT for my MFA in Fashion Design. I graduated from the program nearly a year ago, in May of 2025. Since then, time has flown by as I’ve stepped fully into building Brooks Avenue.
Yet the thesis collection that marked my time at FIT hasn’t stayed in the past. I’ve been thoughtfully bringing select pieces into production for my brand, Brooks Avenue, since this past fall, and just yesterday, I launched two of the final looks: the Embroidered Kaftan, and the Charlotte Coat with the Caroline Tailored Short (with one more look still to come).
Based on how much you’ve all loved these pieces, I have a feeling they’ll continue to evolve, reimagined in new color ways with new details. But, I wanted to take a moment to give you all a deeper look into my MFA collection and how it came to be. A look into the research, the process, the sweat, (and tears and stress), but most importantly, the heart behind it.
The Beginning
My thesis collection, Tiled Treasures, was two years in the making, and it was truly a defining chapter and collection in my launching pad as a designer. The process began the day I walked through the doors of the fourth floor on West 27th Street and came to life on the runway at NYFW at FIT in September 2025.
Like most creative processes, it evolved, a lot.
My original thesis inspiration was yoga. Yes… yoga. And I know what you’re thinking—asanas/poses, movement, the physical practice. But that’s not what drew me in. I was fascinated by the spiritual side of yoga and felt like there was something there worth exploring.
But at the end of the day, I was struggling with it. The ideas weren’t flowing, and the creative in me wasn’t creating.
So what began as early concepts in my first semester in August 2023 shifted significantly when I changed my focus to Portuguese tiles in my second semester. From there, everything started to click. Many of the final designs you see in the collection didn’t fully take shape, however, until my third semester, in September 2024.
This collection feels especially close to me. While I pour thought, detail, and intention into everything I design, this was a longer, deeper, more immersive process, one that pushed me creatively and technically in ways I hadn’t experienced before.
There were many moments where I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to produce these pieces, given the level of handwork, from embroidery to beadwork, that they required. I wasn’t sure I had the audience, the customer base, or the financial stability to support designs at this level.
At the time, I was running a small brand on the side of being a full-time student, primarily selling through my mom’s Laura Park showroom in Building 1 of AmericasMart, which, for those who don’t know, is the interior design building. Not exactly the most obvious place to sell an expensive, hand-beaded kaftan.
And while bringing them to life wasn’t necessarily the goal when I was designing (I didn’t want to hold myself back or limit the ideas), it was always quietly in the back of my mind. Still, every time I shared a sneak peek on stories, my DMs would fill up almost instantly. And when I began sharing these ideas with my manufacturing partner in India, they started to feel possible.
It was nerve-racking and scary to commit to putting so much of this collection into production. To invest hard-earned sales and personal savings into these higher-end pieces and trust that they would resonate.
I called it my “bold bet.” But luckily, receiving the Bob Fisch Entrepreneurial Award of $25,000 gave me the starting point I needed to take that leap.
And that feeling was only confirmed after the NYFW show in September of 2025, when the collection gained coverage from the magazines I’ve admired since I was a kid (little Lawson would be screaming), including Vogue Runway, WWD, The New York Times, 1Granary, Up Next Designer, Fashionista, and more. It reached thousands across social, with hundreds of likes and countless saves, shares, comments, and DMs.
I even had a customer walk into our pop-up at Round Top this past fall and say, “Oh my gosh, I just saw this kaftan on Instagram on the way here and screenshotted it.” My posts were reaching more people than I could have imagined, and even catching the attention of creators I admire, like Kate Bartlett (still a pinch-me moment).
All of this makes it even more meaningful that these pieces have now found their way into our warehouse, onto our website, and hopefully, into your closets.
Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Tiled Treasures and share the story behind the collection.
The Aims & Objectives of the Collection
The Art & History of Portuguese Tiles
One of the aims of this collection is to explore the art and history of Portuguese tiles and the artistic motifs and colors that make them so iconic, reimagining them into wearable art pieces.
Heritage, Craft, and Home
At the heart of this collection is a deep appreciation for the relationship between where we come from and how we express ourselves through craft and art. Home is not just a place, it’s a feeling. It’s the memories and stories, the traditions and artistry passed on from generation to the next. Through this colorful and whimsical women’s ready-to-wear collection, I celebrate the dialogue between heritage and craftsmanship, drawing on traditional southern techniques, my own upbringing in a creative household, and the artistry of Portuguese tiles to create pieces that feel personal, storied, and rooted in a sense of home.
Craft Across Borders
Craftsmanship is a universal language that transcends borders. While Portuguese tilework is rooted in European traditions, the American South has its own rich history of textile and decorative arts, including quilting, embroidery, and smocking. This collection bridges these traditions, weaving together techniques and crafts from different parts of the world to create something both nostalgic and new.
Handmade Artistry
In a fast-paced world where everything is readily available, there is something undeniably special about human touch. Handmade artistry carries with it a sense of soul, each stitch and detail a testament to time, care, and intention. This collection seeks to preserve and celebrate that spirit by incorporating techniques that are traditionally done by hand, such as beadwork and embroidery, completed by artisans who expertise is often passed down. More than a design choice, these handicraft elements allow the garments to become vessels of storytelling. Each piece invites the wearer to feel the magic and cherish the details. In keeping with the ethos of intentional fashion, this collection emphasizes slow and thoughtful fashion to ensure it remains as special and unique as the stories it tells.
The Research
Portugal
As I began researching for this collection, I wanted to understand not only the visual beauty of Portuguese tiles, but also the cultural and historical narratives behind them. Through a combination of literature, travel, interviews, and hands-on workshops, I developed a deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship and intention embedded in this art form, which ultimately shaped the direction of my collection.
Traveling to Portugal the summer between the two years of my program allowed me to experience this craftsmanship firsthand. From wandering the streets of Lisbon and Porto to visiting historic landmarks and tile studios, I was drawn to the intricate details woven throughout the architecture. Ornate ironwork, carved doorways, and scalloped rooflines. Immersing myself in the process, I visited local artisans, participated in tile workshops, and studied both traditional flat and relief tiles. These experiences deepened my understanding of the artistry behind azulejos and inspired how I translated their dimension, texture, and color into wearable forms.
The American South
Alongside my research into the art and history of Portuguese tiles, I found myself drawn back to the craft traditions of the American South, where I was raised.
My parents are the reason I developed such a deep appreciation for art and craft, (likely because they are both artists), something that’s deeply rooted in North Carolina. There’s a strong culture of making here, built on the idea of “passing it on”—whether that’s a technical skill or simply an eye for beauty. That sense of generational knowledge, respect for tradition, and community has always been part of my own family.
Both my great-grandmother and grandmother sewed, and my mom often tells stories about her childhood, how instead of buying the dress she wanted, her mother would take her to the fabric store and teach her how to make it herself. That mindset has stayed with me and continues to shape the way I approach design: with care, intention, and meaning.
In my research, I kept coming back to practices like quilting and smocking, crafts passed down through generations that reflect a deep sense of community and storytelling. Quilting, in particular, stood out to me. What began as both a necessity and a creative outlet for women evolved into something much deeper, a form of expression and connection. Quilting bees, where women gathered to sew together, embody that shared spirit of craft.
Smocking carries a similar sense of tradition. Often seen in heirloom children’s clothing across the South, it’s rooted in care and sentimentality, garments made by hand, passed down through generations, and worn for life’s most meaningful moments. It immediately brings me back to the dresses that I wore as a little girl and are waiting in a closet for my (hopeful) little girl one day.
These techniques, grounded in both function and sentiment, became an important counterpart to my Portuguese influences.
Growing up in North Carolina, I was also immersed in the unspoken codes of Southern culture, where manners, dress, and the way you treat others carry deep significance. From etiquette classes to cotillion, that sense of hospitality shaped my upbringing and continues to influence how I design. In the South, dressing up is a reflection of respect and an acknowledgment of the occasion and the people around you. It’s not just about wearing something “nice,” but about showing care and intention through what you choose to wear. That mindset inspired my choice of silhouette, which I talk about below.
By bringing together these two worlds—the American South and Portugal—my work reflects a dialogue between cultures, united by a shared appreciation for craftsmanship, heritage, and the beauty of the handmade.
Color Palette
Color was the foundation of my collection from the very beginning, shaping both the mood and direction of the designs. I wanted to capture the essence of Portugal, where color plays such a defining role, especially in the tiles I was so drawn to.
Walking through Lisbon and Porto, I kept noticing these unexpected combinations and rich, saturated hues: sea greens, sky blues, happy yellows, classic blue and white, along with plum facades, olive doors, terracotta rooftops, and sun-faded pinks. The colors felt sun-washed yet still full of life, and referencing the traditional paint palettes used in Portuguese tilework helped me refine my own.
Ultimately, the palette became more than just a visual guide. It became a storytelling tool, deeply influenced by my upbringing with two artist parents and their shared love of color. I wanted something cohesive and refined, yet spirited, capturing both the vibrancy of Portugal and the artistic lens I’ve grown up seeing the world through.
Materials and Techniques
My research shaped the collection through both material choices and techniques, starting with a focus on natural fibers like cotton poplin, voile, and twill. I was drawn to these fabrics because they aligned with my goal of creating heirloom-quality pieces that feel timeless, comfortable, and wearable for years to come, while also being more mindful of environmental impact.
The techniques became just as important, rooted in my research into craft culture in both the American South and Portugal. Each one was intentionally chosen for its handicraft nature, allowing me to reflect the artistry and intricate detailing I was inspired by, especially in Portuguese tiles. Across the collection, I explored a range of techniques, including laser cutwork, embroidery, beadwork, quilting, crochet, appliqué, and smocking, as a way to translate these motifs into new, wearable forms.
Each technique carried its own story and purpose within the collection. The laser cutwork was inspired by the ironwork seen throughout Portugal, while quilting and trapunto created dimension reminiscent of relief tiles. Smocking added both comfort and craftsmanship to foundational pieces, and crochet allowed me to play with color in a way that felt cohesive yet expressive.
I also combined hand-done beadwork and embroidery to bring depth and life to designs inspired by Art Nouveau tiles and ornate architectural details, ensuring each piece invited touch and interaction. Finally, appliqué gave me the opportunity to explore tonal layering, especially within the traditional blue and white palette, adding subtle contrast and honoring the heritage of Portuguese tilework while giving it a fresh, textural perspective.
Silhouette
When designing the silhouettes of this collection, I leaned into shapes that felt familiar, classic, and timeless, often inspired by the way my grandmothers dressed. One of the first pieces I designed was the kaftan, a silhouette worn by both my grandmother and mother, with a quiet elegance that allowed intricate embroidery to take center stage. I also designed a bow blouse to pair with a hand-beaded mini dress, drawn to its sense of timelessness and versatility.
The long quilted coat followed, inspired by the charm of a vintage housecoat, something that evokes both warmth and a sense of home, blurring the line between outerwear and something more intimate. Underneath, a smocked bodysuit offered a playful, more modern interpretation of a distinctly Southern tradition, while smocking reappeared throughout the collection in both functional and decorative ways, including within a vintage-inspired bikini set. The swim silhouettes themselves nod to styles my grandmother wore—high-waisted, with a sense of coverage and ease.
Other looks, like the tailored coat and shorts set or the sleeveless button-down paired with a midi skirt, became a love letter to Southern women who appreciate a thoughtfully put-together outfit. Sleeve details also played an important role, drawing from traditional yet expressive shapes like puff sleeves, leg-of-mutton sleeves, and soft flutter sleeves.
By keeping the silhouettes timeless, with a balance of subtle drama and wearability, I was able to let the craftsmanship and techniques take center stage, which is truly the heart of the collection.
Design Details
Design details throughout the collection were deeply inspired by the rich visual language of Portuguese architecture, particularly the Manueline style, known for its intricate ornamentation and subtle maritime references.
Elements like the wave tilework embroidery seen on the kaftan and coat-and-short set draw directly from these motifs, while the intricate ironwork found on buildings became the foundation for the laser-cut leather set, echoing their ornate yet delicate quality.
The placement of design details and prints, seen across pieces like the green trapunto set, classic coat and shorts set, and denim appliqué dress, was highly intentional, reflecting the same sense of structure and artistry found in Portuguese architecture, where decorative tiles and borders frame doors, windows, and walls with symmetry and precision.
The scalloped edge, a recurring motif throughout the collection, was inspired by the terracotta rooftops seen across Portugal, while also nodding to the scalloped finishes often found in Southern fashion and interiors. Together, these details act as a bridge between craft and culture, bringing a sense of intention, storytelling, and cohesion to each piece.
From My Sketchbook to Your Closet
At its core, Tiled Treasures is a dialogue. Between past and present. Between cultures. And between tradition and reinterpretation.
It’s a collection rooted in craftsmanship, shaped by heritage, and brought to life through a modern lens. What once existed as sketches and ideas has now found its way into the world, and maybe even into your hands. Thank you all for your support, your love, and your sweet messages!
How to See & Shop the Full Collection
While the original samples of the full collection currently hang on the racks in my office, you can explore and see more of it on my personal Instagram, where I did a post for each look in the collection, or shop several of the looks here on our site!
Shop the special pieces that went into production: Tiled Treasures. Made in small batches.
xx
Lawson