Tara St. James, Study NY

Tara St James, a New York-based eco-fashion designer, is branching out on her own and is gearing up to launch Study, the creative collective which she heads.

Formerly the creative director of Covet, Tara will be producing a small collection of sustainable clothing within the collective, which will also be producing jewelry, graphic design, photography, music, video, and fine art, all with the ethos of sustainable production. They aim to use recycled and organic materials as much as possible, while leaving as little a carbon footprint as is manageable.

Make Designer Tara St. James’ Recycled Zipper Bracelet (DIY Tutorial)

Does Social Networking Help or Hinder Independent Fashion Designers?

Photo by Graeme Mitchell

I’m not a networker. I don’t use MySpace, I don’t have a Facebook page, and until very recently, I wanted nothing to do with Twitter. Earlier this year, I left the comforts of designing a brand for a larger commercial company. I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do with my career, but I knew that my next venture would be entirely sustainable, somewhat conceptual, but most importantly, it would be all mine. Mistakes and all. When I accepted an invitation to show at The GreenShows during New York Fashion Week, I had only two months before the show and not one sample. One of my largest concerns was how to pay for the show and give a professional presentation that represented my aesthetic. I was then introduced to Kickstarter, an online funding platform for creative projects. I gave myself less than 60 days to raise the $5,000 I guessed the show would cost me, and I immediately started networking.