Sketchy
Sew
by Daniel Beltran
When you are a kid, or a college student or simply just a dreamer who is in love with fashion, you always dream about getting to know the brightest stars within the industry. Well, for me one of those stars is Sew Sketchy. Imagine what my inner child felt when she agreed on giving us this interview! Even with a brief interaction, you can tell Sew is a sweet and nice woman, eager to conquer the fashion world, but also a woman who wants to get into your heart. The way she talks and how down-to-earth she is, makes her so relatable and approachable, that you feel a connection you usually just have with people you have known for years.
Let’s start this by getting to know a bit more about her. She has been working in the fashion industry for 15 years now. She went to Parsons and majored in Fashion Design, she always wanted to be a fashion designer. Funnily enough, the drawings she made for companies became popular on Instagram, and that’s how the Sew Sketchy brand began! Despite having been born and raised in New York and traveled the world working for some amazing companies in the fashion industry, she never thought she would end up having her own fashion illustration company. “I always thought I would be a fashion designer slaving away for someone else, but everything happens for a reason and I feel really blessed to call what I do a job!”
As a new yorker, growing up there helped spark her interest in fashion. The world she grew up in is filled with glamour and fashion and was always incredibly important to her, even as a young child. She always chose her outfits and had a strong sense of personal style. Her family comes from a jewelry empire and they have their own private label brand called Gumuchian. As a child, watching her mother putting on her diamonds and gowns and going to events every weekend, definitely played a huge part in what motivated her to become involved in the fashion world. “I was interested in beauty and what made people feel beautiful since a very young age.” Ever since she could remember, she always knew the fashion world was where she belonged. “I didn’t know what exactly I wanted to do in fashion, but I understood this world and I knew they would understand me.”
Growing up in New York City, which to her is the capital of the fashion industry, she was always eager to intern and learn from people in this world. In high school, she enrolled herself into Parsons Pre-College program where they teach you how to draw and design. The moment she stepped into that classroom at the age of 16 years old, she never felt more in tune with what she really wanted in life, and that was to be a fashion designer. “I was in awe of my teacher and his skills and how talented he was, that I remember just wanting to be just as talented one day! Ever since I went to Parsons Pre College every single weekend for 2 years and then finally enrolled for College and was accepted. It’s the best fashion design school in the whole world and I am still very proud of graduating from there.” Sew told us.
But WHO is Sew Sketchy? Sew Sketchy is an illustrated fashion influencer. She’s a sassy new yorker who is obsessed with fashion and luxury. She has a unique voice in the fashion industry and is a personification of the stereotypical “New York fashion girls”. Sew Sketchy’s notoriety amongst the fashion elite has led the bulk of her followers being primarily fashion lovers. Her increasing influence has led to collaborations with some of the biggest names in fashion by helping brands tell their story as she continues to tell hers. Long story short, Sew Sketchy is a fashion illustrated influencer that collaborates with fashion and jewelry brands in the luxury market to create a compelling story through art.
One of the most impressing things about the artist behind Sew Sketchy is that she is an incognito artist, she doesn’t like to show who she is on her instagram because her account became popular without needing to be personal. Her fans started following her because of her art, not because of who she is, and she found that to be so inspiring! These days we’re in such a “self-centered” world and she really loves how no one knows who she is. “When they find out “I’m Sew Sketchy” people’s reaction is the best!” Half of her clients have never met her or seen her face, can you believe that? Especially in a world like today, when everyone is in everyone’s business, she takes a lot of pride in her private life not being revealed and not NEEDING to be revealed! “All my fans care about is my art and Sew Sketchy, who is the star of the show!”
Her work even from one year ago looks totally different than what whe does now. She herself doesn’t realize the evolution of her drawings until she looks back and sees the difference. She relates drawing to playing the piano. The more you practice, the better you will become. She has been drawing every single day of her life for the past 10 years. Luckily, everyone in her circle of family and friends loved Sew Sketchy since day 1! “Even when she was just a pencil drawing in my notebook, everyone loved her. Today, my fans have been so supportive and show me so much love for what I do and I’m eternally grateful for that response!”
Right now she’s really fascinated by the CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) world and artificial intelligence. One day, Sew Sketchy will be animated and hopefully have her own TV show! She thinks the idea of creating new characters is something really amazing and she feels that this is the direction her career and company will be taking in the future. “I envision her being a hologram in real life.” She loves the idea of putting artwork into reality. “Something that leaves the canvas and becomes a part of your space would just be really amazing.”
Even if you’re a small fish in a big pond, know that everyone was once a small fish. Be patient. And if you don’t know how to be patient then you better start learning. Knock on every door you come across, ask for help if you need to and be open to advice.
As an advice for young fashion aspiring talents she told us “Know when to say “Yes” and when to say “No”. Don’t be afraid to explain your vision even in a intimidating environment. Not many people can do what we do which is why expressing yourself is KEY! Also, don’t pay too much attention to what other people are doing. Own your style, believe in yourself because you have no idea what amazing opportunities lay in front of you when you stay true to yourself.”
By now, you all know that as a tradition we like to close our interviews asking about a dark secret our stars keep, Sew told us she’s very superstitious, “I wear evil eyes around my neck, and have them in every room of the house to keep evil away! I believe that EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. We may not know what the reason is, but trust me, the day you realize, will be the best day of your life.”
This woman represents the true spirit of what women in the twenty first century should have. She’s a strong woman who has no fear of being herself, tells the world who she is and what she’s doing for this world. Women like her are such an inspiration for other young women. Sew shows us how big we can all go, no matter what our backgrounds are, what matters is what we have inside, what we want to accomplish and how far are we willing to go to get it done.