[All images from Carol Van Zandt - check out Carol's name up there on the Andover sign!]

Hi everyone!  I’ve been scrambling around on another deadline and trying to recover from being sick, so I apologize for the little hiatus in the designer interviews.  It will come as no surprise to anyone but me that once again I have taken on a bit too much.  I am most thankful for Thanksgiving this year — a little break in the midst of chaos — and an opportunity to spend some time in the kitchen.  (Of course, I can say this with a cheerful heart, because I’m going to someone else’s house for Thanksgiving and am only making a few things!)

Today I wanted to share this great interview with one of my fellow Andover designers, Carol Van Zandt.  Her debut line, Tokyo Rococo, will be shipping this January (and there’s a whole lot more coming after that!).  Carol has a fine art background and a degree in textile design so I think her story is really fascinating.  I know a lot of newer designers I’ve met at market (myself included) are self-taught, so meeting someone like Carol who has the talent and the education is great.  I get a lot of questions about how to get into fabric design, so I’m excited to be able to show another side to this here.  (I even snuck in a few extra questions for Carol.)  Here’s Carol –

What are you most excited to be showing off at this Quilt Market?

I had three collections selling on paper, “Tokyo Rococo”, which will be shipping in January, “cafe jazz” which will be out in late spring, and another collection that is really different and was pre-selling and I will keep as a surprise for now!  The first collection for anyone just has to be the most exciting, so that’s Tokyo Rococo.  It has a modern Japanese flavor with a nod to classic European design.  I spent five years studying art in Japan and collecting textiles, and three years studying traditional textile design, so it kind of pulls from those experiences for me, fusing those influences in a new way.  It seems to be selling, I hope people like it!

What keeps you inspired?

I had been a contemporary painter for many years before I studied textile design so I sort of have my own rhythm of inspiration, design and execution cycles.  So I simultaneously keep collecting inspiration, working on projects in the design pipeline, and putting the finishing touches on collections.  When I am not inspired there are plenty of logistical things to keep up with!  What inspires me most are motifs in nature, my collections of textiles and design books, and I love keeping up with the newest in the art and design world.  I do love reading trend reports-especially on color, and I love modern architecture.  Following some good design blogs these days keeps me inspired and plugged in.  Hopefully it all informs my drawings from imagination, which is where I get the actual motifs I use in my designs.

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue their creative dream?

I think the biggest thing to sort out is separating the work you do for money and the work you do for love.   For some people it squashes their creativity having to make a business out of their art, and that side of it is just not their thing.   Better to get a job you like enough and that allows you the time and security to pursue your creative dream on the side.  If and when you are ready to get into a creative business full time, go for it!   Do your homework, make sure you have some money to invest in your business and don’t let anyone stop you.   Listen, learn, adapt, but stay true to your creative vision.  Perseverance furthers.

What has been the biggest surprise you’ve encountered when designing fabric and patterns?

I started out studying textile design with the intended goal of moving my contemporary art to a different medium.  I was surprised to be so intrigued by the whole gamut of textiles, from vintage and historical textiles to novelty and graphic.  It really rocked my world and broadened my inspiration sources and creative vision exponentially.

What would you say to someone thinking about enrolling in a textile design program?  Are there certain things they should consider before applying?

I don’t know very much about all the programs that are out there, except that there aren’t very many.  So if there isn’t anything available near you, there are books, ebooks, and online courses.  I think we do need to learn our trade in whatever business we are going into.  So I think people need to commit to doing that whatever way they do it.  People do all come into fabric design or art licensing from different directions and backgrounds, and probably need to fill in their knowledge in different ways. Some of the most talented artists I know are self-taught.  But they did spend time teaching themselves, and there is always the learn by doing method!  In this industry, the only thing that matters is the quality and marketability of the work you produce.  So what ever way you do it, know what you are doing, as it will show. I also think if you have an idea of the primary market you think your designs or art would work well on, best to investigate that direction first and resources to learn to do that well, and then you can move to other markets.