About

Hello all! 

Welcome to Iheartisan! I appreciate you taking the time to swing by. 

I majored in fashion design and graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in 2011. Since graduating I have spent time working in both the fashion and art education industries. My fashion experience has included styling for shows for John Varvatos, Oscar de la Renta, Harpers Bazaar Magazine Show, and Orange County and Los Angeles Fashion Week. My costume design experience has included dressing Jennifer Love Hewitt, Rita Wilson, Tom Arnold, Ivan Sergei, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. I have also done custom pieces for actress Jenn Gotzon and photographer Vijat Mohindra. The brands I worked with during my time in product development included items for Disney, Jonathan Adler, Wal-Mart, Wendy Bellissimo, and Babies R Us. I currently work as an art instructor for the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Arts and Affairs division, teaching sewing, pattern making and design, sketching, and mixed media to students. 

Before going back to school to study fashion design I worked as a teacher, in missions, in community arts and development, and in social work. My past experiences in these fields has shaped how I approach my art and design work and what I share with my community of support today.

I've always believed that our choices usually affect more than just us, and that art and fashion is a platform and catalyst for both discovering our own unique beauty and identity in this world, as well as using it to make a difference in the lives of others in a local and global way. 

Because of that, my fabric sourcing includes sourcing fabrics that would otherwise be headed to the landfill a.k.a. upcycling, reconstruction of thrifted items, or when purchasing fabric-choosing natural/organic fibers for longevity of use and their impact on the environment. My pattern making reduces the amount of fabric waste to low (the cut excess fabric is saved and used again) or zero waste (the pattern is planned and plotted out so there is no excess fabric when cut).

I also dye a lot of my own textiles using indigo and sustainable mud dyes from the soil that are safe to be disposed back into the soil, returning them back to where they came from. 

You can check out more of my handmade products on iheartisan.etsy.com. 

Thanks again for stopping by!

XO, Sarah