A designer is nothing without their team. These past couple of months have made me realize that this journey is not so much about the clothes but the people you meet and the relationships you have with them. There are so many people I want to thank for making this all possible, so please bear with me for a moment... To my design mom Meg Decubellis who pushed me to apply for this competition and stuck with me through every stressful moment and difficult decision, and saved my sanity with conversation and wine. To the Supima team, Buxton, Alexa, and Jenn, who saw potential in my work and gave me the confidence to run with it while also taking care of all the administrative work behind the scenes. To the sweetest design mentor Bibhu Mohapatra, who guided all of us to become the truest version of ourselves through our work. To my friends who dedicated their love and time to converse with me while helping with all the tedious tasks: Jamall Osterholm, Gina Park, Elisha Jonnes, Chaz Aracil, Seoyoon Moon, Talia Connelly. You guys are part of the reason why I never had a nervous breakdown. To my textile buddy Julia Wright, who took the time to teach me how to dye many of the fabrics. To Jason and our slitters at the Korber hat factory who cut all of our thousands of fabric strips. To our department coordinator, Elaine, and our technician, Tom, who helped create a great environment for me to work in during the summer. To Ann and Owen and their team at AO productions for casting the perfect girls for all the looks and producing the show. To our brilliant and incredibly sweet seamstresses Susan and Sarah who helped all of us fit our garments before the show. To all the finalists who humbled me with their incredible talent and wonderful personalities. And lastly, to my family who assured me with their full support from the very beginning and continue to do so.
