We were lucky to catch up with Tamara Boyd recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tamara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

II had come up with the idea for developing a company that specializes in providing fashion design services based on my professional experience in working for a small business apparel manufacturer. Through my experience I was given an opportunity to utilize my knowledge and skill for design in various ways which included not only designing garments and patternmaking but also handling administrative responsibilities through garment specifications and tech packets. Unlike larger companies where most employees find themselves working exclusively within one department, employees within small business apparel manufacturers can easily find themselves working within multiple departments as needed to bring a product to life. However, for smaller manufacturers this can also create the possibility for experiencing delays with bringing new designs to market. Coming to the realization of this problem is where I had found my niche. As designers we of course want to create trendsetting designs relevant to our market. I had discovered that it would be more cost efficient for smaller apparel companies to receive contractor fashion design services to assist with completing projects that meet their seasonal deadline. By providing reliable design services, companies can bring forth new designs in a timely manner which enables them to keep up with competition in trends with less strain and delay on the design process.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Pursuing a career as a fashion designer was a goal of mine ever since I was child. I grew up in Wilkinsburg, Pa which boarders east of Pittsburgh. Though I did not come from an environment that has prominence within the fashion industry, I’ve always enjoyed designing clothing as a way to define a person’s character. I actually never knew what a fashion designer was until the age of 9 years old when my father took notice to what I was doing as a hobby and then suggested that I become one. From that moment onward it was as if a light bulb went off in my head and I finally knew my purpose. I started exploring all of the fashion magazines I could get my hands on and continued to illustrate designs faithfully.

My ambition is what led me to earn a degree majoring in Fashion Design from Philadelphia University (currently Thomas Jefferson University) in 2009. While attending Philadelphia University I had the opportunity to study fashion design abroad for a semester at the American University of Rome in Rome, Italy. My all time favorite designer is Valentino Garavani. Being in his native country and exploring the Valentino Roma museum was both inspiring and reaffirming that the fashion industry is where I belong. After graduating from Philadelphia University, I then landed my first job as a designer at Aero Tech Designs located within the Pittsburgh area which specializes in manufacturing cyclist apparel. This of course was a far stretch from my aspirations as a couture designer. However, a blessing nonetheless because it revealed to me that my gift as a designer does not have to be limited to one style of design; and is in fact limitless at its’ best.

During my tenure at Aero Tech Designs I gradually worked my way up from dual roles as a part-time seamstress and part-time designer to Assistant Graphic Designer and then the Design Artist. I have designed garments for men, women, children, and cyclist teams along with being the lead designer in the development of the Women’s Fit and Slim line. During this time, outside of work, I had also earned a Master’s degree in Professional Counseling from Carlow University. With two professions to maintain I decided to resign from my position at Aero Tech Designs and eventually develop my own design company. In August of 2018 I had founded T.Rochelle Designs LLC which specializes in providing fashion design services to small business apparel manufacturers, retailers, and start-ups. I also provide work as an instructor within the Textiles department of Protohaven, a non-profit for craftsmen within my native community of Wilkinsburg.

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

The lesson I had to unlearn which could easily lead to imposter syndrome is simply that you have to know everything before you can pursue anything at all. Despite my education and competence proven through my professional experience as a designer I still held doubts about whether or not I could actually pull off providing contractor services in fashion design. I had come to realize from other freelancers and entrepreneurs that imposter syndrome gets the best of us from our desire to be the best at what we do. This also reflects the desire to please the consumers we intend to serve. The end result is that this creates a way for us to get in our own way of blocking what we were born to do. From having learned this lesson I now try to exercise these three virtues in my work: Don’t overthink everything, Trust my instincts, and Value my worth as a designer.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

The resources that I wish I knew about earlier in my creative journey are resources available for sustainable fashion. While studying fashion design terms such as “fast fashion” and “speed to market” were seemingly the go to methods for success within the industry. More than a decade later, the industry along with the rest of the world is singing a completely different tune with terms such as “circular fashion”, “bio-degradable textiles” and of course “slow fashion.” The pandemic itself has reaffirmed the need for sustainable practices within fashion with regards to the well-being of both people and the environment. As a result of this change, I have been fortunate to find numerous resources to assist clients with developing a sustainable design process through the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) website. However, I have wondered how much of a difference this would have made in my career had I developed an understanding of how to design sustainable fashion much sooner versus later.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.trochelledesigns.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/trochelledesignsllc
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/trochelledesignsllc

Image Credits
Photographer Brittany Boyd of Brittany Leanna Productions LLC, Courtesy of Tamara Rochelle Boyd of T.Rochelle Designs LLC