MODA Designer Profile: Ally Cong

ALLY CONG

SECOND YEAR

ECONOMICS / EALC

AKPSI BUSINESS FRAT / AOII 

FORMER CHIPOTLE EMPLOYEE ✌🏼

WHY DESIGN???

honestly i am not sure, but i do know a large reason i wanted to learn how to sew was because i wanted to replicate expensive clothes that i liked. sometimes you see something online and all you can think is “i could make that”. truthfully, being in designer boot camp made me see there is more thought that goes into clothing (especially good quality clothing) than perhaps i gave them credit for. now after working on this project for however long, i’ve come to see this “collection” as being inspired by a clean, minimal evening vibe. that’s the only way to explain that i have come up with.

PRIOR EXPERIENCE???

nah, only your average hand-sewn strap adjustments every now and then.

CHALLENGING / REWARDING ASPECTS???

coming to terms with the fact that whatever i make won’t live up to my own expectations is absolutely the most challenging part. realistically we have only been learning how to sew for around six weeks, so to me it seems naive to expect clean lines and perfect tailoring, but if i’m making clothing i want it to look like it wasn’t made by a 20 year old student with no sewing experience. on the other hand sitting at a sewing machine and stitching fabric is an incredibly proud moment. i feel like most people recognize that the education dbc gives is the first step to becoming an actually good designer. it’s all about what you put in, and consequently you get this feeling of “i’m doing something most other people don’t get the chance to do” and it definitely is really rewarding.

LOOKING FORWARD TO???

i am definitely to see my models/friends in their final outfits and going down the runway (on instagram after the show since i’ll be backstage) and to see everyone else’s designs realized. there’s a lot of cool stuff going on with us in dbc that i get to witness, but we don’t have much exposure to the other designers, so the rehearsals will be the first time we get to see their collections. i remember how it felt to be at the show last year as a guest, and honestly that was what made me want to do designer boot camp this year, so i can’t wait for studio MODA to give others that feeling.

WHO U HAVE IN MIND???

no one in particular. one of the things i appreciate the most about clothing is the fact that there are so many different things you can do or see or want. we envision one thing or create another, but if you see me on campus i’m most likely in a sweatsuit. this doesn’t mean i don’t have favorite designers or care about clothing, it just means i love sweatsuits too. so when i thought about this process, my only thoughts were that i wanted it to be feasible, clean, and the start of a long relationship with clothing creation.

ANY ADVICE???

time management skills are necessary. you’re definitely going to come across obstacles while you design, whether it be complications with fabric or the reality of creating your designs. i ended up altering a lot of my designs drastically to avoid problems which could have been easily fixed earlier in the process. save yourself a lot of stress and dissatisfaction by putting the work into prior research and details. things are always easier said than done, and i still don’t know how to add zippers to my clothes.

FAV ASPECT OF DE PROCESS???

i like shopping a lot, and fabric/accessory/hardware shopping was a new way to experience an old hobby. i never knew how many different considerations there were for even simple articles of clothing. it was fun to roam around these stores and imagine what you could do with what was around you. i also really liked the fact that i forced myself to learn how to knit, since it’s always been a goal of mine to learn.