Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Rose Parker.
Hi Jennifer Rose, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a third generation fashion designer and I’ve grown up around fabric and sewing my whole life. I learned from my mom, who was self-taught but who also worked with my grandmother, Virginia Rose. She designed for Francis Gee Garment Co. in Kansas City, Missouri and her claim to fame were the Burger King uniforms from 1965-1967.
For me, I began humbly, using printed cotton for “jam-shorts” and dresses. Then came spandex swimwear. Eventually, raw silks for prom dresses. When my mom transitioned from bridal to home decor, I started using her decorative material scraps for handbags. I bribed friends to model my looks in high school and onward as I pursued a B.S. in Dietetics and a minor in French at FSU, 2004.
It wasn’t until Covid’s “great resignation” that I took the leap to full-time fashion designer in the heart of Gainesville, FL. Despite living in Gainesville since 2010, I was working mostly in Jacksonville, as a dietitian. Commuting three days a week from home was exhausting but in hindsight, providential. Jacksonville showed me its local culture and inspired me to try and do likewise, in Gainesville.
In February, 2022, I opened a studio less than a mile from my house, right in the heart of downtown. I’ve seen so much growth for small businesses, restaurants and third-spaces for community- and it still continues. I started with leather hand bags and accessories but quickly expanded to bespoke apparel and fashion shows.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Believe it or not, the toughest parts have been sticking to my belief in serving my local community through the arts, working slow and bespoke, and specifically against mass-production.
The smooth part has been the art practice. Working with textiles, my sewing machines, models, my community, and more. I love looking out my second floor windows seeing the city alive each day.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a fashion artist. I create three dimensional wearable art for every kind of body. I am inspired by nature and strong female communities. I am known for using natural fibers, scraps, damaged, or dead stock materials and lots vintage notions from all around the world. I work with local and international clients for their one-of-a-kind pieces while also making my own work for exhibits and shows. I’d say my aesthetic and my values set me apart. I include the live/ raw and selvage edges from leather and textiles and I strongly believe in equity for all people.
I’m most proud of the fact that I took the leap of faith to make a dream into a reality. I’m so thankful that my family taught me these skills and still encourage me. I could not do, nor would want to try, what I’m doing without my biggest mentor, my best friend, my fine arts oil painting husband.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Oy! Well as a lone-ranger myself, I encourage being brave and exploring your community. Talk to restauranteurs, baristas, book shop owners (and more) about what you do. Invite them to your creative space! Your local community is your network. When they know you, they often know others with similar interests. Again, you gotta get out, you have to be bold and initiate those convo’s.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.frenchalltheseams.com
- Instagram: frenchalltheseams
