Marcela Chang joins us from Chile; Here is where she is during Covid, but usually she is in Santiago. They are sliding into summer, but they are in the same time zone as I am here on the West Coast. See more about Marcela Chang Knits here.
Welcome Marcela Chang! Like me, you’ve been to design school; let’s start with how you design.
Marcela Chang Designer
Q1: Where do you usually start when creating a design?
Normally, I start from an idea or a look I saw in a movie or in the streets, some silhouette, some atmosphere. I usually design backwards, I sketch the final result and then figure it out how to make it.
Q2: Do you have a preference of working with restrictions versus doing “whatever”?
I love to have restrictions. I always put some restrictions to my work. Like budget or difficulty or both. As a scattered person, restrictions makes me put my thoughts in order and my feet in the earth.
Q3: How do you start a design? Yarn? Stitch Pattern? Shape? Concept?
Normally I start thinking in my client lifestyle and what concept and silhouette fit in there. In this collection we had the concepts and the stitches, but I still start from the client, probably is because I’m a trained fashion designer and that is how I learn to design.
Q4: How do you decide which ideas to pursue and which to let sit?
I start with stitch samples and testing yarn. That gives me the idea of what I’m going to do, what thinks works what doesn’t. Sometimes I follow something that doesn’t really work just because I need to see what is wrong. For this pattern I’ve made one before I don’t like at all, before make the final sample.
That is nice to hear — not that the first one wasn’t what you wanted, but that it isn’t always idea to perfect project! I had the same problem with this one because I was wanting to do something outside my usual approach.
Marcela Chang Designer
Q5: Do you do collections or concept development?
All my designs start with some concept, but lately has been very helpful to make small collections. Because in order to push myself into productivity I need to work my designs in batches. Also has been very well received by my audience
Q6: What appeals to you about independent designing?
Freedom. I can work on my own from any part of the world.
Q7: What role does color play in your work?
Love colorwork. As a South American I have many indigenous influence in my daily life. Andean folklore inspires me all the time. And I love to work colorwork.
As a person, I love to wear color and stamp fabric, I’m not afraid to use color at all.
Marcela Chang
Q8: What besides knitting and your family do you love?
I love cook and photography. I’m always trying recipes and watch chefs on youtube. I also like photography.
Q9: How do you remain creative?
I rest on weekends, try not to work, and try to spend the time doing something different. I have an sketch book with me all the time, to sketch or write ideas for sweaters or collections. Listening to music triggers a lot of ideas too.
Q10: What next — besides leaving the house!
Probably will be a new collection that is on hold for a long time!
We had a bit of a collective celebration when Marcela finally got coffee made by someone else!
Marcela’s contribution to the Rise Up Collection is a design called Shooting Star and is a top down seamless colorwork yoke cardigan with steeks, super fun to knit.
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