MODA Designer Profile: Agnes Palmstierna
I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Agnes Palmstierna, a second year in the College, currently undecided on her major but leaning towards economics and gender and sexuality studies. Here’s what Agnes had to say about her design experience.
Have you ever done fashion design work before? What made you want to be a part of the process?
This is my first year designing for MODA, which I’m beyond excited about! Seeing the show last year was a really fun experience and made me want to be a part of it. I didn’t have a ton of sewing or designing experience coming in, but I’ve always experimented with designing, and began sewing my own clothing since I was pretty young. It was super exciting for me to have the opportunity to take on a bigger project to further that passion!
What are some of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the process?
The thing I didn’t really anticipate was translating visions into actual pieces that look like what you had in mind, especially when you add in all the materials. Some things don’t really translate in the way you would imagine, but that’s also kind of one of the most satisfying things, like trying to make it work and experimenting with fun fabrics and patterns. The path from design to final product was not as straightforward as I thought it would be, and there was a lot of trial and error, but at the end of the day, I’m happy with the work I’ve produced.
Do you have a design philosophy?
My thought process has always been to try to produce things that make me happy and have as much fun with it as possible. When I look at my work, I want to feel happy, even if that means not getting too bogged down with the specifics, and more so thinking about how the process has brought me joy.
What are some sources of inspiration for your collection?
It started with this checkered pattern fabric I found, it was my grandmother’s old fabric, and she was really into sewing, so I owe a lot of it to her. I really liked the fabric, and it kind of gave me housewife vibes, so that’s where it started. From there, I began thinking about how people were dressed in different time periods, especially women. I drew inspiration from 18th-century costume designs, and also thought about what men wore during those times. It was interesting to compare the two and mesh them into something new.
I was watching a lot of costume dramas at that point, and really liked the way that younger boys dressed. I was also super into equestrian style attire and thought a lot about how I could incorporate almost a horseback riding theme into my designs. It was a mix of different eras of very distinct clothing, especially the distinction between men’s and womenswear, that I’m super excited for people to see!
Who do you have in mind when you’re designing?
I would like to design for people who aren’t too worried about what they wear, and would rather people laugh at them in the streets than wear something boring. I think I would want people who don’t take themselves too seriously to put on my clothes and feel like they’re being fun, having a good time, and putting themselves out there.
What are you looking forward to most about the show?
I’m really looking forward to seeing what everyone else has done, and especially since it’s been virtual this year, to see what people have come up with from their mood boards and how the process has worked for them is the thing I’m most excited for.
Header graphic by Vivian Li
