I admire all fashion designers. It is their creativity and talent that I look to in awe and amaze when I see their designs worn by the models in a fashion show on TV or worn by a celebrity in a fashion magazine.  Either way, they are geniuses for what they do, and their fashion designs inspire me and my own style.  Don’t get me wrong; I am not only a fan of the big names out there like Tommy Hilfiger, D Squared, Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Stella McCartney, Vera Wang, Diane Von Furstenberg, just to name a few.  I am down for our local talented designers in Canada too! W00t w00t! I’m always interested in how designers get started, and what inspires them to design the clothes they do, so it was so cool that I got to sit down and pick the brain of one of the designers whose clothing line was showcased during this year’s Vancouver Fashion Week.

She’s quirky, she’s cute, and she’s grungy all in one.  She’s Leah Marie Bohnet, the mastermind behind the one-woman show that is Broken Doll Clothing. Designing, sewing, merchandising, marketing, she does it all herself!  But this talented seamstress did not know from the start that she wanted to go into fashion designing. She hated her first year at Lethbridge College, which she attended for Fashion and Merchandising.  Designing is a creative outlet for Leah, who does not like being told what she designs is right or wrong.  She told me during that first year she would cry and complain to her mother, to whom she now owes her success.  For it was Leah’s mother who gave her the push (or shove!) Leah needed to enroll in college after high school, and start pursuing a career as a fashion designer.  It was evident that she possessed major talent in sewing, but it was not until three years after she graduated college, working the odd job here and there, that she realized she wanted to design her own clothing. She wanted to be a fashion designer and she was in it for the long run.  But why the name “Broken Doll” you ask?  Simple question, simple answer.  It was a name that stuck with Leah for five years from when she originally saw it in an Elle magazine photoshoot in college. In this case, simplicity worked.

Fast forward to the present, and Leah has established herself as an emerging local fashion designer in Canada, doing things only one way: HER way.  For Leah, this is one of the biggest perks of being a fashion designer.

“The biggest perk? Getting to work for myself! I love being my own boss, I love making my own hours, and I love being able to be creative without anyone telling me yes or no…If I work for another designer I would have to work along their lines.  I love doing this for myself”.

This isn’t to say that being a fashion designer is easy work. The creation of Broken Doll Clothing was a trial and error process, and was difficult in its beginning phases.  Leah had to learn everything herself, and started off buying fabric from places like Fabricland, and Textile Clearance House.  She has come a long way since then, but admits she is still just getting into the industry and has much to learn.  So where does this edgy fashionista draw her inspiration for her Broken Doll Clothing designs from? “From fabric, the colors, the prints”, she says.  Keeping things consistent throughout each season, Leah first designs a few items, and then ensures the rest of the line that season follows a similar trend.  In terms of her own fashion sense, Leah’s most adored designer is Marc Jacobs who was the first to introduce the grungy look for fashion, a style that Leah easily relates to herself. Broken Doll Clothing may give off a flirty and fun vibe, but Leah describes her own style as less girly and even somewhat hobo-esque.  Get this: Someone once gave her a $50 bill because he mistook her for a homeless person back in Calgary!  Insane in the membrane!

With a preference for jersey material (type of knit textile made from cotton or a cotton synthetic blend), Leah is super excited to start designing her Fall line for the upcoming year.  Watch for some over-sized pieces that are part of the whole baggy “grungy” look she will be going for.  She will still stay true to her casual yet trendy designs, but wants to start incorporating more eco-friendly fabrics into her line.

For any aspiring designers out there, Leah has this advice for you: To keep going, even if you feel discouraged.  If it’s what you want to do, then you have to keep at it.  Leah told me that there have been times when she felt like quitting, when people didn’t like her designs, yet she kept following her dreams of becoming a designer.

“Out of every person who doesn’t care about your line, there’s gonna be one person who does”.

Broken Doll Clothing appeals to women aged 18-30, and is currently sold at The Velvet Boutique right here in Vancouver.  If you’re more of an online shopper like I am, then do yourselves a favour and check out the website to scope out some solid end-of-the-season sales. www.brokendollclothing.com.