Adventure, Athletes, and My First Fashion Show Application

I applied for my first fashion show. 🙂

This year is officially the year for adventure, for really “going for it” and not looking back. I’m done wishing I had cared less about what others thought of me. I’m choosing to go for things even when I’m tired, inexperienced, or just doing it for the simple joy of it. When did we, as adults, stop doing things just because the idea was fun?

I believe part of living as a born-again believer is the ability to enjoy every season because of the hope we are graced to understand. In my personal study yesterday, I read seven different verses on joy, ending on 1 Peter 1:8-9:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

What makes the Christian walk attractive to the lost is our hope. Constant rejoicing—even while enduring the “everyday” life is how we disciple others. I haven’t seen Jesus with my own eyes yet, but I love Him. There’s something about watching His face in The Chosen that gives me chills; it makes me cry just imagining Him giving me that same hug one day. Because I rejoice in the joy of my salvation, I’m choosing to bring Him glory with every creative idea and every moment I light up with joy.

 

So, about that fashion show application: Mint To Be CLT is putting on a local “Met Gala” style show. The theme is “Feminine Body as Costume Art.” Now, I expect the world to take that theme and sexualize it—but I plan to be the light in the dark with my interpretation.

I am designing a two-piece vintage blanket set featuring every female GOAT (Greatest of All Time) athlete. Did you know Title IX was nearly 54 years ago? On June 23, 1972, the U.S. banned sex-based discrimination in education and sports. My mother and grandmother lived through a time when they were openly discriminated against in athletics. I want to honor the best of the “feminine body”—women who were disciplined, self-controlled, talented, and paved the way for the rest of us.

The Plan:

• Design: An upcycled two-piece set made from a custom female athlete graphic designed blanket and denim scraps (maybe some fur because NYFW was alllllll fur).
• Details: I’m attempting my first-ever corset belt to bring in that “costume art” effect. I’m excited to challenge myself with new sewing techniques!
• Goal: The winner gets $1,000 and (all 15 designers) get a month-long feature at the Mint Museum. That would be a huge blessing, but even if I’m not one of the 15 designers chosen, I’m still making it. I’ll be wearing this set to NYFW in September regardless!

 

3 Tips I Wish I Knew When I Started Sewing

 

If you’re reading this and thinking about picking up a needle and thread, here is my “no gatekeeping” advice:

• Start with Goodwill finds. I love upcycled fashion—taking what others saw as old and making it new. When you’re teaching yourself, you will mess up. Using thrifted fabric or old donation bags (like turning jeans into skirts! I did that) keeps you from frustrating your budget while you learn.
• Curate your inspiration. Create a Pinterest board and find sewing content creators who actually explain the “how.” Save posts that inspire you, then add the twists that make the design uniquely you.
• Learn to say “No” to the “Task Rabbits.” It’s a running joke in the sewing community: as soon as people find out you can sew, they ask for favors. Fixing rips and hemming pants isn’t the same as designing art. You don’t have to be your friends’ personal tailor just because you have a new hobby. They can hand-sew that hole themselves!

Good luck to all my fellow makers, and please pray I get chosen for the show!

Love y’all, Cass