Profession / role:

Creative Director

Company / organisation:

Natalie Breeze Design

Website (if you have one):

http://www.nataliebreezedesign.co.uk/

My primary role in relation to fashion is:

Designer

I am looking to discover or buy

Suppliers of ethical materials, Networking and Marketing opportunities.

About me / About business or organisation:

I am 27 years old and live in my hometown of Leeds, West Yorkshire, which I love and am constantly inspired by. My main passions in life are art, music and food; my happiness comes from using my creativity to make things that will bring happiness to others.

I design, pattern-cut and make unique, quality items including Clothing and Accessories; I try to make my products attractive, yet practical in the modern world. Inspired by the beauty of the world around me and with a responsibility to respect it, I employ both traditional and modern creative techniques to make a range of products for both men and women.

I offer you ready to purchase products, handmade from new and used fabrics and materials; when buying new fabrics I try to source unusual, organic, fair trade, hand woven or other eco-friendly fabrics and trims where possible.

I am solely responsible for all the day-to-day running of my business including research, design, pattern cutting/sampling, sourcing, photographing, listing products online, social media/marketing/networking, admin/accounting and everything in between. I currently sell my products through my online shop at http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/NatalieBreezeDesign/

Career history / Company history:

I graduated from Northumbria University in 2009 with a 1st Class BA (Hons) Degree in Fashion(Design).

During the 4 years of my degree course I worked for Fashion Designer Nicola De Main in London for 6 months on Industrial Work Placement, where I really learnt a lot about the production process.

After a few unenjoyable freelance jobs designing for suppliers I decided instead of being sat at a computer churning out CADs all day, that I then turned over to someone else to make into mass produced product as quickly and cheaply as possible, I wanted to be in control of the whole production process from idea conception and research to final production. I wanted to be able to source my own materials and be able to use a combination of new, vintage and up-cycled fabrics in order to create limited edition, handmade, quality products that would be loved and used for a long time and slow down the tide of fast, throw-away fashion made by big businesses. I also wanted to FEEL the materials in my own hands as the ran through MY sewing machine and be in full control of what went into each piece.

The seed was sewn in 2010, but it was only after a string of dead end jobs and a bout of depression and health anxiety that I decided it was now or never..... at the beginning of 2013 I finally decided to start again from nothing to make things happen for Natalie Breeze Design.