Tessa Fishkin is a senior-level student in Otis College of Art & Design’s Fashion Design program. She was raised by an artist (her mother) in the Seattle area, and has exposed to (and tried out) many types of art throughout her childhood, teenage years, and adult life. Her first attempt at sewing— around age 8 or 9, a flat ‘teddy bear’ for her grandfather— was her initial taste, and since then, her favorite projects have always involved a needle and thread.

Her interest in clothing began when her mother introduced her to period dramas, like Pride & Prejudice (1995)— the best part about watching (for Tessa, at least) is, of course, the clothing. Her dreams of making and wearing such beautiful dresses eventually lead to her pursuit of a career in fashion.

As a designer, Tessa’s favorite parts of the process are draping, patternmaking, and sewing. She loves tedious, hands-on work and figuring out design ideas and issues physically, so that changes and experiments can happen on-the-spot. Coming up with solutions, trying out new techniques, and (best of all) making a beautiful garment come to life with her own two hands are the things she lives for. Tessa likes working on tailoring and design projects with clients directly, and is especially interested in womenswear and general design innovation for people who are over 50, people who are disabled, and anyone else who struggles to find clothes that fit them well. She believes that the world would be a much happier place if everyone were happier with their clothing, and that the relationship between an individual and their clothes is extremely important for not only bodily comfort, but also mental stability, mood, and general quality of life.

As a person, Tessa is a lover of beautiful things; antiques, artworks, and clothing (old and new) are her shopping vices, but she also is wont to look at the world around her to find inspiration and hope in natural scenery, architecture, and creatures (big and small). Her favorite media genres are science fiction and space horror, based in her lifelong admiration for aviation, cosmology, space exploration, and scientific advancements. She still loves period dramas, too, of course.

Tessa lives in Los Angeles with her girlfriend Chasey and 16-year-old cat, Cecilia.