14 Year-Old-Designer of “Faith by Jessica” Prepares to Debut Collection at New York Fashion Week

The life of a fashion designer can be glamorous; the career consists of fashion events, galas, glamorous models, and elite crowds. Being a fashion designer is the most personal career in the fashion industry. Your entire life is dedicated to every stitch and garment. The essential tools to have embedded in your personality is motivation, passion, and determination. If you think the fashion industry is only glamour, perhaps you should get a taste of the daily life of a fashion designer as I prepare my collection to debut at New York Fashion Week in February 2014. Click here for tickets or more information about PLITZS Fashion Week. 

Meet Fourteen-Year-Old Designer, Jessica Faith Marshall

My name is Jessica Faith Marshall, I am the founder and designer of Faith by Jessica, a luxury contemporary brand for women with strong, modern yet glamorous style. I target the 18-35 year-old demographic, however many people who attempt to guess my age pause and question the irony that I am a fourteen-year-old fashion designer for adults.

I grew up in New Jersey and often visited New York City. My early experiences of the city lifestyle heavily influenced my design aesthetic. I started drawing fashion figures at age five, and by age eight began sewing and designing clothing. At ages nine and ten, I hosted local runway and trunk shows, and soon after, was a featured designer for Austin Fashion Week. This year, I was selected as a showcase designer for Austin Fashion Week. In between runway shows, I attended adult classes at Austin’s School of Fashion Design where I sharpened skills from fashion illustration to flat patterning. 

In 2012, I sold my Holiday collection in Gallery D boutique. The following January, I renamed my brand Faith by Jessica and have since hosted three Austin Fashion Week events and other events in the Austin Fashion Industry. Since the beginning of this year, I received press coverage in The Austin American Statesman, InFluential Magazine, The CW Austin, and other publications. I was recently selected as the winner of the Susan G. Komen Project Pink design competition against twenty adult designers. Now, at age fourteen, my business is currently based out of Dallas, Texas where I continue to connect with the Dallas Fashion Industry and release seasonal collections in fashion weeks around the country.

Learn How to Prepare a New York Fashion Week Collection

My next milestone as a designer is to launch my collection at the PLITZS New York Fashion Week show. I will be showcasing my new “FAITH Contemporary” collection, which includes twenty-five looks. You can follow my progress and go behind-the-scenes with my team as we make preparations of our New York Fashion Week runway show in February. This series will provide tips and inspiration for designers, models, stylists, or anyone interested in producing a collection for New York Fashion Week. 

• Learn about the sample making process, from the flat sketch to the sample.
• Understand the roles of your team; including your stylist, beauty team, and manufacturers. 
• Learn my design process to inspire your own. Creating a mood and attitude for your runway show requires planning more than just the looks.
• Get previews of the FAITH Contemporary collection and the Faith by Jessica Fall/Winter 2014 collection.
• Get my tips for producing a fashion collection campaign.
• See the process of preparing for a New York Fashion Week collection from start to finish

Be sure to visit FaithbyJessica.com to subscribe to the weekly newsletters, connect with us on social media, and check out my daily lifestyle blog, THE MODERNIST. Visit FashionMingle.net often for regular installments of this series.