Are you bored during the summer? Well I have the camp for you! Pima Community College (PCC) has a camp called Pima for kids. They offer half day camps like Little Detectives, Jr. Animation, Cooking, and much more.
I signed up for Sewing 1, Sewing 2, and Fashion Design for a three week camp. My teacher was the amazing Miss Rachel Ann Johnson. “ The Fastest Seamstress in the West… Campus at PCC”, she says. The first week, she taught the class how to thread a bobbin and sewing machine. Then she taught us how to sew different stitches on fabric. By the end of the first week, we made pincushions and tote bags. By the end of the second week, I sewed a dress! I could not believe I could do it but I did. On the third week in Fashion Design class, she taught us how to make up mood boards and sketch our designs to create our one of a kind fashion masterpieces.
We then ended the week with the class strutting the catwalk showcasing our designs.
I had such a blast learning about sewing and fashion design that I wanted to know more about Miss. Rachel and her sewing and designing experience. She told me she started sewing when she was 8 years old, and that her favorite items to sew are costumes and formal dresses. Her work has even been showcased in Tucson Model Magazine. Recently, she assisted her former student and Tucson fashion designer Jill Medlow on a dress for the Richie Rich Project. Miss Rachel wore a dress she designed herself to the event. So fab!
Rich, a world famous fashion designer, is traveling to different cities in the U.S. to find local designers to create for his Spring/Summer 2017 collection. He has worked with well known designers Betsey Johnson and Patricia Field. Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Gwen Stefani, and Sarah Jessica Parker, just to name a few, modeled his designs and were muses for his creations. I had the pleasure of meeting Rich and speaking with him. He was so nice and very funny. I asked him when he started designing and he told me he knew he wanted to be a designer when he was 8 years old. He said it was his mother who encouraged him to be a fashion designer. I then asked what his favorite piece to design is and he said “everything”. He loves bright colors and the style of the early 90’s. Andy Wharhol’s Pop Art is also his inspiration. I would have never had the time of my life without knowing and learning from a great teacher, Miss Rachel. See you on the runway!
If you would like to know more information about PCC’s summer day camps, contact Kimberly Range-Glenn at 520-206-6444 or email her here.
If you would like to contact Rachel Ann Johnson, call her at 520-971-4509 or email here
For more information on the Richey Rich Project, visit Tucson Fashion Week.
