We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Madison Renee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Madison thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
As a student self-producing a five-look senior collection, the discussion of finances became more relevant than ever. when I was picking what materials to use I had to be strategic of what would give me the best look and quality but also be financially attainable. I decided to splurge on custom-printed fabrics with prints I designed on them and that was by far my best investment. The entire collection was about scrapbooking and documenting memories so I created an original repeat print in Photoshop using pages from my sketchbooks. The print included process work, symbols from the world where my collection exists, and some personal memories that I would put into my own scrapbooks. That print tells the story of the collection and acts as a “golden thread” to tie the collection together. I found a website that did quick, on-demand, custom prints on quality fabrics and placed several large orders. The fabrics were by far the most expensive part of the collection but they were also the most praised part of the collection in my thesis critiques. High investment but also high reward!
Madison, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My journey to this point began at age 10 when I first learned to sew, but it was during the classic high school “Should I be an artist?” existential crisis that I decided to pursue fashion seriously. Although I initially considered pursuing a degree in political science or education at a Texas state school, my desire to uplift others led me to the world of fashion. For me, fashion is more than just clothing—it’s a form of expression and unity. As a designer, I prioritize accessibility, inclusivity, and vibrant color palettes which are all things I consider to bring people together. I’ve always felt the need to connect and uplift others, however, it became the most clear that I could do that with fashion in my junior year of high school. In 2020 I made the move from Dallas, TX off to Savannah, GA to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design. I have recently completed my BFA in Fashion Design with a minor in Fibers and am heading into the industry now. This past year I developed a senior thesis collection called “Scrapbook” which was a five-look collection about scrapbooking in outer space. It’s Inspired by a long family tradition started by my grandmother, who creates scrapbooks for each of her grandchildren, this collection is grounded in the idea of physical memory keeping. I consider the impulse to collect and cherish memories as a universal human desire, no matter where mankind may go, including space! The collection is colorful, size-inclusive, and dripping with sweet glimpses of storytelling. This collection is the image I’m presenting as a transition into the professional industry.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I started sharing regularly on social pages when I got to my first college dorm. I started posting room tours, outfit videos, and daily vlogs. I eventually connected with an audience of my peers at school that then grew into audiences at different art schools. In my sophomore year, I became an RA (resident assistant) and started making content about that job too growing into a larger college-centric audience. I eventually ended up partnering with SCAD’s social media teams for a few videos and from there began working with Apartment Therapy’s new brand called Dorm Therapy. In this process of social media growth, I started further to integrate my professional creative practices with my personal life. It’s important to me that I am attached to the work I produce because it is so people-focused with kindness at the center of everything. I find that the fashion industry can sometimes have an exclusiveness to it that I hope to combat. From the person I am to the work I create, there is no mystery. I want people to feel like they know me and relate to the work I do! Social media has been a wonderful outlet to share that message. My advice for anyone hoping to build an online presence would be to identify your community and come off as approachable. Don’t hesitate to comment back, send a DM, or share a post with someone who you might think will like it – you never know who you might meet. I’ve found wonderful collaboration opportunities through social media alone.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
One of my favorite quotes is JFKs “A rising tide lifts all boats”, not in the ‘Finance Bro’ economic way that he meant it, but in the way that it illustrates how a community can rise all at once. I think society can uplift the creative community by sharing work and keeping creatives as a consideration in everyday life. A simple story repost of a work that you think is cool, attending a gallery opening or shopping at small businesses are all easy ways to uplift the creative ecosystem. Through the lens of fashion particularly, the most supportive thing people can do is be informed consumers. A good example of this could be if you see a graphic shirt on a mega fast fashion discount site, maybe Google image search it and see if you’re able to purchase it from the original designer. This is what I mean by keeping creatives “considered”, if someone is after a new piece I’d encourage them to research a sustainable, creative supporting product over one that is unethically produced. I understand how that’s not always an option for everyone but its the thought that counts! Non-artists keeping creatives in mind and ctreatives supporting each other is the ultimate way to spread support.
Contact Info:
- Website: Itsmadisonrenee.com
- Instagram: @Itsmadisonrenee
- Linkedin: Madison Salmonson
Image Credits
Bellas Jones, Greanly Phillips