Tailoring My Dreams: D’s Fashion Exploration Across Europe

Hi, my name is Dawson—creatively, I go by D—and I’m starting this fundraiser to help cover my accommodations for an upcoming trip to Europe this November.

I’m a 23-year-old fashion designer from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, and I’ve made the decision that to truly grow as a designer, I need to immerse myself in the diverse styles of tailoring that are integral to various European countries.

Since 2019, it’s been my dream and passion to create my own clothing samples and personal garments. I’ve been teaching myself pattern drafting from a university textbook while steadily working on building a clothing brand, which I envision evolving into a self-sustaining artistic collective.

For the past five years, I’ve been honing my patternmaking and hands-on assembly skills, all while quietly developing the brand’s identity. My ultimate goal is to create a collective that spans across multiple artistic mediums, hosting both fashion shows and art events.

In 2023, I graduated from Lakehead University with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing. Since then, I’ve been working in construction to fund my clothing brand and save for this transformative trip to Europe.

Art has always been my passion, and I want to keep it alive for myself and for others who might feel, post-school, that there’s no hope for a fruitful artistic career.

This trip to Europe is a crucial part of my journey to fully embrace the ethos of my brand: embracing discomfort. It’s about putting oneself in challenging, uncomfortable situations that fuel personal and creative growth. I’ve always been someone who values curiosity over certainty. While I believe I can achieve anything, I remain curious enough to constantly test that belief.

Over the past five years, I’ve worked every day to develop my skills, brand identity, design sense, and marketing abilities. This includes mastering various software programs and, most importantly, cultivating a disciplined and growth-oriented mindset.

The purpose of this trip is to dive deeper into the garment creation process and learn different tailoring techniques and styles that are core to fashion design. I plan to visit key fashion hubs, including Lisbon (Portugal), Milan (Italy), Paris (France), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Antwerp (Belgium), Copenhagen (Denmark), and London (UK). I will explore the rich heritage of each country’s tailoring traditions and discover how I can apply modern interpretations to my designs. Additionally, I aim to expand my knowledge by traveling to Tokyo (Japan) in the future, known for its cutting-edge fashion innovations.

As part of my long-term vision, I’m also working towards attaining Portuguese citizenship, which will facilitate my full move to Europe. This will allow me to continue building my craft and connections in a region rich with fashion history and creativity, ultimately helping me achieve this goal and dream.

I also hope to use this opportunity to network with others who may want to join my collective in the future, while attending Paris Fashion Week in January to connect with industry professionals. My goal is to learn more about the buying process and explore ways to grow my brand, with the ultimate vision of seeing it in stores and eventually opening my own.

As stated - all donations will be going towardd my accomodations.

Any and all donations mean the absolute world to me - thank you to everyone in advance

My Brands website

My Brands Instagram

My Personal Instagram