Looking back on my past projects, I am still amazed at how much I have grown and improved. I used to be surprised when thinking about how much I’ve changed, but really, I haven’t changed much. Over the past few years, what has really happened is that I’ve begun to discover and embrace what I truly love, and now I am so much more myself. It is mainly because of this that my work has gotten stronger. Looking back through my Learning Portfolio, I can see little details in all of my projects that are all present in my work now. Each of my projects has bits and pieces of my current aesthetic, but it wasn’t until recently that I finally figured out what it was, and now I can bring it all together. I think it has to do equally with maturity and being encouraged in the right way by the right people, because they really helped me to see what I had been denying all along.
- My name is Mekenna Hartweg. I am a fashion design major from the small town of Lakewood, New York. Growing up, I always loved to do all different types of arts and crafts, and I still do; I love to make things. I appreciate art and I love to look at it and learn about it, but I would never consider myself to be an artist. The same goes for other types of design too. I am sadly incompetent in graphic design, illustration, etc., but I appreciate hard work, a strong aesthetic, and authenticity.
- My favorite things to make are clothes (obviously). I particularly like big silhouettes, dresses, and anything with sparkles and/or ruffles. Since I love to make things by hand and have always been interested in different crafts, I like to incorporate that into my work. I love knitting/crocheting, embroidery, beading, smocking… I also whole-heartedly believe in slow fashion and craftsmanship. In my opinion, it is clear when something was designed and made with care.
- I find that I am always drawn towards the idea of freedom. While this idea can take many forms and have many meanings, they are all beautiful to me, particularly sexual freedom and the freedom of childhood. I gravitate towards images of people running happily through fields without any clothes on, of children playing dress up, dancing crazily on a beach, or innocently sticking stickers all over themselves just because they have them. This core value of mine influences every part of my work, from beginning to end. I am most inspired by things that are less tangible: personas and characters, ways in which people live their lives and how. And it all comes full circle; the people and stories that inspire me are the ones that in one-way or another represent a kind of freedom that I want to celebrate. I try to reflect this aesthetic in the silhouettes and fit. To me, this means big and loose garments that allow freedom of movement, and sometimes a slouchy fit that gives the wearer a sense of cool ease. Little pretty details like ruffles, fringe, or crystals add to the fun of wearing it. I always design in hopes that whoever is wearing my clothing will feel free to do things like work, dance, travel, or whip them off.
- I design best by focusing on small details at a time. I work out the silhouette, sleeve, or smocking pattern before I can decide on how a whole garment should look, let alone an entire look. I spend a lot of time scratching little things in my sketchbook, doing fabric manipulations, and draping ideas that I like enough to figure out and explore further.
- It’s a cliché, but I have always loved clothes. I still play dress up now just as much as I did when I was a little girl. I may not be curing cancer, but I do think that making clothes that people can be happy in is a really special thing. Wearing pants that make someone feel good and are fun just to walk in can make a person’s day so much more special… why not only own clothes that can do that for you? My hope for my work is for the clothing to give its wearers a sense of freedom, one that is open to their interpretation. I try to always put an emphasis on feelings and emotions, but only a suggestion, so that people can wear my clothes how they wish, and use them to feel however they need to feel.
- I always end up researching topics that reflect my aesthetic. I am also really drawn to historical art and dress. I love learning about history, reading memoirs, etc.
- I just want to keep making clothes. I want to feel good about the clothes I design and keep improving and figuring things out.