2025 Designer Profile: Gabby Seiglie
Gabby Seiglie is a first time designer, utilizing her passion and artistry from her previous experiences in jewelry making to explore fashion and design. Gabby, pursuing a major in Biology and a minor in MAAD, spent her past quarter in the designer bootcamp, learning how to sew and making her art come to fruition.
What are some sources of inspiration?
I find a lot of my inspiration through Pinterest. For my looks, I was really inspired by Winx Club, ethereal fairies, and that girlie feminine aesthetic. Very mermaid and fantasy vibes. Making jewelry was my main inspiration for this project. I started working with jewelry over COVID, and ever since then I’ve just been learning more about the craftsmanship and the intricacy. I also want to get involved in 3D printing with jewelry in the future. The calming and stress-relieving nature of jewelry making has also influenced my color patterns and designs. I want to create wearable art.
Have you ever done fashion design work before?
So, I have never done fashion design work before, but what I was telling you early is that I work with a lot of jewelry. I really wanted to take it to the next level and turn it into clothing. I am a part of the designer bootcamp, and I go every Sunday. It has been really fulfilling learning a new skill and getting feedback from other designers as well.
Who do you have in mind when you’re designing?
I try to have a theme and color scheme in mind and see where it takes me. I also have to accept that the product is going to be very different from what I expected it to be. I loved getting my supplies and thinking about different ways I could use them. Although it was stressful, I enjoyed seeing how I could modify designs to make them better and more authentic.
Most challenging and rewarding aspects of the process?
It takes so long. The piece that I showed you, I did the entire thing and I hated how it looked, so I had to start over again. With jewelry it really depends, because some pieces it is easy to refine, but other times you have to start from scratch. It has also been difficult trying to combine my new ability to sew with my jewelry making skills. It has been a very rewarding challenge, because I was able to create something I never thought I would be able to.
What are you looking forward to most about the show?
I went to the show last year and was really inspired by everyone else. I knew I wanted to get involved right in that moment. Not only am I excited to see my own art come to life, but I also look forward to seeing what all the other talented artists have created.
