About the Designer - Eva St. Clair

Eva St. Clair is a co-founder of Princess Awesome and its Chief Creative Officer. She sources all of the art for the company, working with over a hundred designers to bring unique, nerdy, whimsical, and most of all, stereotype-busting clothing to folks who just want to wear clothes that reflect their personalities and interests. 

In addition to finding art made by amazing artists, occasionally Eva makes art too. Here are some Princess Awesome products featuring her designs:  

What style of art do you feel most comfortable in?
My first love is actually sewing, so I'm happiest when I'm creating something with cloth. I particularly like applique and needlepoint. But my absolute favorite is costumes. Here I am as Tsunade from Naruto, wearing the haori I made:  

What themes or topics spark (what you feel to be) your best work?
Usually my inspiration comes from meeting people and learning what they're interested in. I like to design with a particular person in mind. Sometimes I will sit and think to myself, "Now what would my friend Bernadette like to wear? Well, she wants to be an astronaut, so...." and then I'll start working on something that I know Bernadette will want. You can read more about the design process.

Is there a project you are most proud of?
Well, to be honest, I really love the piano dress and skirt. I'm a cellist and I'm thrilled to get to wear it to recitals and concerts. It was very much a personal-interest project.

How do you work? Digitally? On paper? AI/iPad with AI or sketchpad?
If I'm working on a design element that will be printed or embroidered, I draw it on my iPad in Sketchpad when I come up with an idea, and then I transfer it to Adobe Illustrator to make it vector art.

But for new products, I buy fabric and make a sample using my serger, sewing machine, and cover stitcher. I create the patterns for the garments myself and I also handle all the grading.

How much of your work actually makes it onto a product?
I estimate less than 1% of what I draw or sew actually becomes a product. I draw something every day - I make mockups of ideas every day - and 90% of those ideas are pretty bad, to be honest.

But 10% are good ideas. The good ideas are shown to a panel of customers who tell me if they are actually great ideas or just kind of mediocre "meh" ideas. Great ideas get taken to factories, to see if they're possible. And then if they make it through development, they become real products.

And I wear them! Most days I'm in Princess Awesome stuff, even when hiking or doing projects around the house.