“All you need is your own imagination, so use it, that's what it's for! Go inside for your finest inspiration and your dreams will open the door. Strike a pose, there's nothing to it!”
Iconic lyrics find their way into our minds whenever we think of fashion. Whether it’s haute couture, prêt-à-porter or mass market, fashion is all around us and we can’t escape it, unless we’re up to exploring the oftentimes criticized Birthday suit.
One girl has caught the attention of thousands, her passion for fashion radiating through each piece she sews, sometimes with the help of her mom. At just 9 years of age, this little lady is set to become a fashion mogul of her own making.
She and her mom were kind enough to share their story with Bored Panda, as well as give us little glimpses of the creative process. Let’s snip into the details, shall we?
Kaia Aragon has found her passion for fashion at the young age of 9 and has been sharing her creations online, making thousands go “Wow!”
Image credits: kaiaraedesigns
Kaia Aragon has found the one thing that makes her heart soar. And that is the wonderous world of fashion and clothes making. The elementary school student from Colorado was first introduced to the craft by her mom Tonya in November 2021, and that was the beginning of something truly special.
Tonya explained that one of the benefits of being a homeschooling family is the fact that they "have time to teach our kiddos what they want to learn. So when my kids come up to me and say 'I want to be a fashion designer when I grow up,' or 'I want to be a chef when I grow up,' I can say, 'you don’t have to wait until your grown up! Let’s learn together now!'"
"I’ve sewn for years but knew next to nothing about making apparel," she continued. "So if Kaia wanted to learn how to make something specific (like pants), I would figure it out so that I could teach her how to do it."
The elementary school student from Colorado was first introduced to the craft by her mom Tonya in November 2021
Image credits: kaiaraedesigns
The girl seemed to absorb each lesson like a sponge and has been impressing the internet with her creative handmade designs ever since. From dresses to cosplay costumes, flowy dresses to snatched two-pieces, she can do it all! To add to the wonder of it all, she uses their home’s hallway as a catwalk to show off the designs, and all we can say is: work it!
Kaia revealed that she rarely plans her designs in advance: "I just wait until I feel inspired by something whether it be fabric, or a special trim. And then I get a picture in my head and I usually just start draping on my dress form until the dress on the form matches the picture in my head."
Each piece is inspired by something else. As she told My Modern Met,“the one thing that stays the same is that I only use super soft and comfortable fabrics.” Comfort seems to be a big focus when it comes to her designs, especially as the pre-existing clothes selection for girls her age lacked this quality.
From dresses to cosplay costumes, flowy dresses to snatched two-pieces, she can do it all! Her main goal, however, is comfort
Image credits: kaiaraedesigns
Image credits: kaiaraedesigns
“I like making clothes because the fancy dresses in the little girls' sections are so stiff and uncomfortable,” she explained. “With my own clothes, I can be super fashionable but also comfortable at the same time. So I can go to a tea party and then go ride my scooter at the park and not have to change first.” Practical and stylish - could we ask for more?
Although Kaia has made dozens of outfits, her favorite to this day is “a white satin dress that I made with fabric that I hand-painted.” It looks opalescent and color-shifting as she turns, showing off the gown. They gather most of the materials from thrift stores; taking in an item full of potential and letting their imaginations run wild.
The fashionista dreams of becoming a professional fashion designer when she grows up, hoping to run a successful business with her best friend Ariana, with whom she's created a few designs as well. Another dream of hers would be to design something for or collaborate with Zendaya.
It seems her dreams aren't too far from reach. The mom-daughter duo have 5K followers on Instagram and 10K followers on TikTok, with many excitedly waiting to see what the girl will think of next!
“I can go to a tea party and then go ride my scooter at the park and not have to change first,” she explained
Image credits: kaiaraedesigns
Image credits: kaiaraedesigns
Kaia excitedly revealed that Vera Wang and Gunner Deatherage were her favorite designers, motivating her to journey into the world of fashion furter. "Vera and Gunner have both been really supportive and encouraging to me!" she said.
Vera Wang - one of the most prominent bridal wear designers in America, known for balancing modern designs with traditional elegance - noticed the girl's talent early on and even gifted her a sewing machine. In an interview with HBR she advised young designers: “It’s wonderful to be passionate and have a dream. But start by working for somebody you respect - or anybody, really - and get paid to learn.”
“You have to learn what came before so that you know (a) you’re not really that inventive, and (b) which rules you want to break,” she continued. Hard work will make the dream work, and encouraging young women to follow their passion starts by telling them to prove that they’re the best they can be.
The girl’s work has been noticed by Vera Wang - one of the most prominent bridal wear designers in America. She even gifted Kaia a sewing machine
Image credits: kaiaraedesigns
Image credits: kaiaraedesigns
It may seem daunting to take up sewing, especially as sewing machines are quite expensive if you’ve not got the money to spend on one. Then you think of all the tutorials and fabrics you’ll have to use up in order to learn, all the books to read, all the time to invest and the dream floats further and further away.
I’m in this exact boat myself. But hey, it doesn't have to be this complicated! As Silver Bobbin says, “Learning to sew is no harder than learning how to bake pastry or build a bookshelf. Like any new skill, it is best learned one step at a time, with lots of practice.”
They continue to explain that the best place to start is to decide what kind of sewing you want to learn. That way, you can focus all your research, practice, and preparation on mastering that skill. You don’t want to try to learn everything at once!
Her favorite piece to date is this pink satin dress. She hand-painted the fabric to give it an opalescent shift
Image credits: kaiaraedesigns
It’s also a good idea to consider whether you want to learn hand sewing or machine sewing. Hand sewing can be easier and cheaper; you may only need to purchase a needle and some thread to get started. On the other hand, if you want to sew clothing, you probably need to learn how to operate a sewing machine.
Sewing clothes will require you to learn how to use a sewing pattern, how to cut out the pieces of your garment, and how to pin and sew the pieces together. Once you master these skills, you can sew essentially anything your heart desires! Crazy Little Projects has put together a small dictionary of phrases and terms to help understand what is being requested of you, and I shall leave the link to it here.
The main thing - don’t get overwhelmed and don’t give up. As Vera Wang states, the sky’s the limit, but you’ve got to put in the work! Little by little you’ll grow comfortable with your needles, threads, and fabrics and we’ll be seeing your designs popping up on Instagram, just like Kaia’s did.
And as the fashionista herself says: "My advice for people just starting out would be just do it. You’re going to make mistakes but you can always fix them!" You heard the little lady - just do it!
Kaia dreams of becoming a professional fashion designer when she grows up, and it seems her dream isn’t far from reach
Image credits: kaiaraedesigns
So what's next for Kaia? "I’m just going to keep designing and trying new things. As far as the future goes, I have big plans. I want to go to FIDM with my best friend. We want to work at Starbucks together to pay for college and then after college start our own fashion house in either Paris, New York, Seattle or San Diego!"
We wish Kaia and her family all the best for the future, as there’s something very special brewing here. Let us know your thoughts on this and whether you’re an avid sewer or have barely succeeded in securing a button to your shirt. Au revoir et à bientôt!
People have loved Kaia’s excitement for fashion and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
