Alumni

Grad Shauna Smith Opens Sewing and Design Lab in Arizona

Fashion Design Graduate Shauna Smith, who graduated from FIDM in 1992, is featured in an article in Arizona Daily Star thanks to her new business, Needles and Knots Sewing and Design Lab. She opened the space last fall to teach sewing basics and fashion design.

Needles and Knots (NAK) also serves as an open studio where for eight dollars an hour, sewers receive access to top-notch equipment, including sewing machines, sergers, and a large cutting table. Students can sign up for private or group lessons or a range of classes. She's also planning on sewing meet ups with tea or wine. Although many home sewers turn to YouTube or Google to learn, having an in-person teacher can be more effective. Shauna's students say they've gained skills and confidence.

The sewing entrepreneur made her own clothes and designed patterns as a teenager, so FIDM was a natural choice. After receiving her degree, she worked in the fashion industry in New York City for a few years, according to Arizona Daily Star. She also opened a sewing studio and workshop in Austin, Texas for four years. She moved to Tucson, Arizona 10 years ago where she continues to design for various clients around the U.S.

"In my classes, I want (students) to catch my enthusiasm," she told the newspaper. "I feel like sewing is so empowering. It gives you so many options. You can hem your own pants to the right length or you can take things in. You don't have to throw something away or give up on something. I know sewing's not for everybody, but I think knowing the basics of how to sew should be something that everybody has." 

Learn more at naksewing.com

Photo: Johanna Willett for This is Tucson - Arizona Daily Star

Categories:  Fashion Design Alumni