OLIVIA GRACEY / CLOTHING
Written by Kathryn Machanic
She loves the process of starting with a piece of fabric and figuring out how to turn it into something fun and original. Her designs play with fabric, patterns, and mixing different kinds of styles - like using funky patterns on a classic, structured suit. Her style incorporates different elements of the environments she’s grown up in - from the old-school preppy aesthetic of Massachusetts small towns to the artsy, experimental style of Wesleyan.
Olivia’s love for sewing, initially inspired by Project Runway, began in 5th grade. She used YouTube and sewing patterns to teach herself, and eventually got good enough to make her own prom dress in high school. Her love for making clothes continued into college where she worked in Wesleyan’s costume shop, and she’s thinking about attending a fashion design graduate program in a few years. She describes the clothes she makes as playful and laid-back, and she loves the tactile experience of constructing a piece from start to finish.
As opposed to the often exclusive nature of independent design, she wants her clothes to be worn by as many people as possible and prices her work accordingly. While she uses trends for creative inspiration and finding new ways to put things together, she wants her clothes to last and she’s focused on longevity and sustainability. Most importantly, she wants her clothes to be fun and make the people that wear them feel good. Follow her instagram @liv_things_ to see more!