I’m Cathy Lin, a rising senior Fiber major. During the summer of 2017, I realized I hadn’t gained a lot of experience in patternmaking since my time at MICA, and because of that, I’d never felt confident enough to make my own garments. I found out about the internship opportunity at Shilo Byrd Studio by searching around online for patternmaking studios that included working with intimate wear, mainly located in New York, as I enjoyed the experience of living there last summer. When I found this studio, I reached out to them through email, and they scheduled a Skype interview to work out my availability and goals.
This
studio specializes in pattern and sample making, as well as production for
ready- to-wear. Their expertise, listed on their website, includes tailored and
draped wovens, knit, eveningwear, corsetry, swimwear, lingerie, active, and
outerwear for both menswear and womenswear. My supervisor was Shilo Byrd, the
owner and head patternmaker of the studio, who specializes in patternmaking for
wovens (mainly menswear and womenswear). I also spent a majority of my time
working with Jenna Saunders, the Intimates/Swim Product Developer, who worked
with clients to develop their lingerie/swimwear brand or products.
For the most part, I helped around the studio with lifting and cutting patterns, whether that was for menswear or intimates. From that, I learned how to properly annotate pattern pieces. All of the works I was involved in were for various clients, and I found it interesting to see the diversity in styles and aesthetics. I also helped out with cutting fabric, and although it sometimes felt more like a mindless task, it actually improved my cutting skills. For a while, I was also working with Illustrator, drawing flat sketches of clients’ works, which definitely helped me gain more experience working on the computer. Towards the end of my internship, I started working with the sewing machine more, and I ended up completing a pair of bikini bottoms for a tradeshow that my studio will be participating in, as well as a sample of a garment that I patterned myself.
I’m proud of the many skills I picked up during my short time interning with Shilo Byrd Studio, and also how easy it felt to pattern a garment by myself. Doing that made me feel a sense of accomplishment, and more motivated to create more garments in the future. The most important thing I learned was definitely how fast-paced this industry is, and how at the same time, it’s extremely important to maintain accuracy in the works that are being done. It is only through constant practice that one can work fast yet be accurate. Interning with Shilo Byrd Studio helped me realize my interest in patternmaking, as well as in fashion design. I’ve always been interested in intimate wear, but never had the skills to create anything, and after interning here, I feel more confident in what career path I want to pursue.
