We recently connected with Tiara Daring and have shared our conversation below.

Tiara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

“To Create, Custom Styles, and Provide Comfort.”

Creating: With a passion for crochet and an eye for innovation. Making pieces that are a work of art thoughtfully designed to make a statement. Aiming to challenge the preconceived notion of crochet while bringing fresh and stylish trendsetting pieces to the forefront of fashion.
Customizing: To celebrate individuality and offer personalized options. Collaborating closely with each customer, tailoring their crochet couture to reflect their style and preference. We take pride in creating one-of-a-kind pieces that resonate with their distinct personality.
Comforting: Meticulously selecting soft, high-quality yarns. Through implementing expert craftsmanship to ensure each crochet garment feels luxurious. Fashion should embrace wearability, allowing customers to feel comfortable and confident in their everyday attire.

Through these actions, we aspire to redefine the world of ready-to-wear fashion. We want everybody who wears Crafted by T to feel valued, comfortable, confident, and playful. Join us on this inspiring journey as we weave together through creativity, customization, and comfort that embodies the essence of confidence for all.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hey Everyone. I am Tiara. I was raised in Maryland but am now a West Coast local. I am currently enrolled in school to increase my fashion industry knowledge. Crochet is a form of art therapy, specifically through fashion for myself. Expressing myself with how I dress brings me joy and confidence, which I want to share with others. The best part is creating, designing, and styling with textiles I could have never imagined.

I started crocheting during my process of separating from the military with the desire to search for a new craft. I was inspired by research on Instagram and YouTube and amazed at the beautiful projects everyone made. It was another world of handmade things I did not know of. One day, I went to Michaels, bought two skeins “ rolls” of yarn a 5 mm hook, and started my crochet journey there. Eventually, making my first bag and bucket hat. The feeling I felt during that process was indescribable, and I wanted to continue to feel that way.

Eventually, starting Craft3dbyt (Crafted by T) on Instagram a few weeks later after learning the basic stitches to showcase my work and connect with a community of other artists. I chose Craft3dbyt (Crafted by T) to show all my crafts. But crochet “hooked” me, and In August 2022, I started a business doing markets in the San Diego area.

Craftedbyt is a unique, casual chic brand that creates ready-to-wear handmade fashion custom to fit your style confidently—reinventing the old craft of crochet and what casual chic is with textiles. CraftedbyT provides patterns, YouTube tutorials, ready-to-ship items, custom orders, and workshops for those who want to learn and grow their knowledge of the art. Craftedbyt is here to connect you to the world of handmade.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

One word: Freedom. To create fashion to fit your style and aesthetic. I enjoy the versatility and getting the most out of my wardrobe when I buy clothes—so creating pieces that can be worn in various ways and showcase new styles to inspire your sense of fashion. Is the goal of CraftedbyT.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Crochet is something that a machine cannot accomplish. As a creative, there is constant questioning and ongoing debates over pricing. We want to explain to our customers and other consumers that you are shopping ethically; every item is custom and handmade. Whether you support our business or another, everyone should be fairly compensated for their time, skill, and effort. In today’s economy, there are expectations for discounted prices, and because of this, it has become increasingly difficult to convince consumers to compensate adequately. For example, different sizing varies in pricing. A small top takes 5 hours with 250 grams of yarn compared to an X-Large, which may take 9 hours with 550 grams of yarn. When buying any handmade craft, respect any artist’s craft and pricing. To be transparent, we use Crochetpreneur balanced pricing method. Supplies+ Hourly wage+ Business Expenses x 1.75 (75% Markup) = Retail Price.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.craftedbyt.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craft3dbyt/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@craftedbyt