Honoring the Creative Process
On finding inspiration, trusting your instincts, and giving good ideas room to evolve.
When I reflect on my years as a fashion designer in New York City’s Garment Center, one thing stands out: the importance of the creative process itself.
In the fashion industry, so much of the focus was on shipping, sales, production, and everything that needed to happen in between. There was constant pressure to produce commercially viable designs, season after season, with little time left for the art of designing.
If you were among the fortunate few, you might travel to Paris twice a year to shop the stores and visit Première Vision, the renowned fabric trade show. I was lucky enough to have those experiences, and they were some of the highlights of my career. But they lasted only four or five days, twice a year. The rest of the time, I was working late, trying to find moments to read magazines, attend fabric appointments, and seek out the inspiration that makes good design possible.
I didn’t always eat well. I rarely had time to organize. And I often found myself pushing aside what I needed as a creative person in order to keep up with the demands of the business.
Even after my life changed, I noticed how easily I could fall back into that same rhythm. The habits of working under constant pressure don’t always disappear when the circumstances change.
But here’s what I’ve come to understand: the art of design cannot be forced.
There were times when I would design in my sleep. I’d wake with an idea or a solution that had eluded me during the day. Those moments felt like little gifts—creativity finding its way through when I’d finally stopped trying so hard. It’s one of the things I still remember fondly about those years.
As I’ve grown older and become more comfortable with my own point of view as a designer, I’ve learned that I don’t have to push so hard. I know who I am creatively, and I’m more willing to give myself the space and freedom I need to do my best work.
Of course, I no longer work under the same pressures I experienced in the Garment Center. But even if I did, I know I’d be much more willing to protect the time and conditions that allow me to create well.
Give Your Ideas Room to Evolve
My advice is simple: honor the process.
Whatever that means for you, give yourself permission to take your time, even when someone else is putting pressure on you to hurry.
An idea doesn’t always arrive fully formed. Sometimes a design, a half-finished sample, or a collection of materials needs to sit for a while before you can see what it wants to become. I’ve had pieces that didn’t come together until a year or even two years later.
I used to feel that I needed to keep working at something until I’d figured it out. Now, when I’ve been staring at a design for too long, I’m comfortable setting it aside. I trust that I can return to it with fresh eyes and a clearer perspective. In fact, this is exactly what I do now, maybe even a little too much so, as I have several unfinished pieces that simply can’t be forced.
Stepping away doesn’t mean abandoning an idea.
The same is true of creative work beyond fashion. Whether you’re developing a new product, building a collection, or shaping a business, not every question needs to be answered immediately. Some things need time, distance, and room to become clear.
What to Do When Inspiration Feels Far Away
When you’re in a creative dry spell, it’s easy to become anxious. You may feel pressure to produce something new, make a decision, or prove that you’re making progress.
But creativity doesn’t always look like creating.
Instead of forcing the next idea, try returning to the things that support your process. Organize your photographs. Revisit past creations. Sort through your fabrics and trims. Gather inspiration. Take care of the practical details you’ve been putting off.
These activities may not feel like the work of designing, but they can help create the space in which new ideas emerge. They allow you to reconnect with your materials, notice things you’ve overlooked, and see possibilities you might have missed when you were focused only on the finished result.
When you nurture the process, you’re giving yourself a better chance to create thoughtful, cohesive work—work that reflects your vision rather than simply meeting a deadline.
I’ve learned that the goal isn’t to produce something new every moment. It’s to recognize what the work needs from you at each stage.
Sometimes it needs your full attention. Sometimes it needs a fresh perspective. And sometimes it simply needs you to step back and let it be.
Honor your process. Trust your eye. Give your ideas the space they need to become what they’re meant to be.
