Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Kara Love Eaton


I would imagine designer Kara Love Eaton can't help but feel a little rush of excitement walking down trendy Main Street in Vancouver, Canada. The street is home to hip indie shops and boutiques featuring some of the most forward thinking fashion made in Canada. As a pattern designer for Gentle Fawn, Kara's work is a little part of what gives this vibrant area in Vancouver, it's vibe.

Kara is a fairly recent graduate of the illustration and design program at ACAD, and she made a stop while in Calgary to visit her former college to share, and inspire, the students with her experiences after art school. A trend I've been seeing in many of the successful grads from ACAD is a strength in both graphic design and illustration, Kara included. 

In art college she excelled in her illustration and design classes. School helped Kara find what she was good at, such as expressive marking making and designing forms and shapes, which ultimately lead to what she is doing now. Being at Gentle Fawn has immersed her into the intricate and complicated details of manufacturing and designing clothing. 

After only a couple of years, these skills have given her an impressive body of work, and during that time she has helped to define the look of Gentle Fawn. It's super neat to see these creations start out as hand drawn patterns made using watercolor, ink wash, markers, and other such hands on methods. Eventually to be transformed into modern fashion.

Amongst the many great points Kara shared with the students one that came through was that her drive and passion is what fuels her art and has enabled her to find an outlet to express herself. Kara's role at the clothing designer includes patterns for the clothing, designing print material, and even shooting video.

Check out the clothing here : www.gentlefawn.com