We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Starr Lewis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Starr below.

Hi Starr, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned to sew and create fashionable pieces by watching YouTube and having a mentor early on. I also went through a lot of trial and error by just going in blind and teaching myself as I go. To speed up the learning process I could’ve skipped purchasing cheap equipment and went straight for the heavy duty machinery. Another thing that would’ve been essential was learning how to make clothing patterns or purchasing them instead of guesstimating measurements. The most essential skill is to be very patient! There will be days where fabric just doesn’t want to cooperate or the needles may break and get jammed into the clothing. Other skills that are important are having an aptitude for sewing and being creative overall. Also paying attention to detail wouldn’t hurt!

Starr, 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 name is Starr, two R’s and I’m a creative fashion designer from Michigan. I got into the business by learning how to sew. When the world shut down for Covid I was in the house bored and decided to teach myself everything I could about the industry. My creative services include making custom 1/1 clothing, releasing limited time collections, and creating memorial pieces for those who have lost a loved one. My brand also participates frequently in fashion shows all over Michigan. What sets me apart from others is creating garments from scratch. Nothing you see on any of my clients is store bought. I’m most proud of reaching over 4 million people by myself. Its been times where I was out with my friends and someone would come up to me and say “Your the girl that makes clothes! Your work is so dope!” People also reach out on Instagram or Tik Tok and tell me they seen somebody wearing something I made while they were out. Having recognizable art is such a blessing. The main thing I want my clients and potential clients to know is you’ll always get quality work and customer service. I strive to make sure that we communicate clearly with one another to make sure you understand the whole process and ultimately get exactly what you want.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Society can best support artist and creatives by doing a plethora of things! One of the biggest and cheapest ways is tell your friends about us! Also share our post on social media and come to our events. I would love for society to see the value in the arts and what it takes to make anything. And by that I mean pay full price for the product and don’t ask for a discount! Artist work very hard and spend a LOT of not only money but time creating things that you all love.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn is not prioritizing health and rest! I know I speak for many creatives when I say we get so excited about a new project and want to finish it all in one day. But the truth is the work will be there tomorrow and you need to still have a life outside of your art. Taking care of your health and prioritizing rest is very important. Not only will you feel better but you’ll prevent yourself from burning out and producing low quality work. I learned this lesson about a year ago when one of my videos went viral on Tik Tok. I made a hoodie and the video reached over 4 million people. Needless to say I received a lot of orders from people requesting that product. For 6 consecutive months I worked for about 10+ hours everyday trying to get these orders shipped. I missed out on family time and rest throughout this experience. More than once I experienced burn out where my body just wouldn’t get out of bed and my back would hurt tremendously. With my line of work you have to sit and do repetitive motions to sew. It’s not good for your back at all. I developed a tremor in my wrist and had to wear braces on them for a few hours a day to get it under control. Although I am very blessed to have this experience I know that in the future that I must take care of myself so I can take care of my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/starralexandra
• Instagram: starr_alexandra
• Other: Tik Tok- starr_alexandra21
  Email: [email protected]