So, I asked on Instagram if you had any questions, about me or the brand, for me to answer. I received 7 great questions (which is more than I thought I would get, haha! Honestly thought I would get 0), and I am going to answer them in this blog post.
Thank you to everyone who sent me a question. I have kept the questions anonymous, as I wasn't sure if people would want their names/instagram handles, in this blog post.
Anyway, here are the A's to your Q's.
Having my own fashion brand has always been a dream of mine, since I was a little girl. But what made me actually start it in June 2019, was finishing my Masters degree & deciding that if I didn't try now, who knows when I would try to start it. My mum was so supportive, and still is. What inspired me to start a faux fur brand is that I have always loved anything furry/fluffy, and it kind of became my 'specialism' during my Masters degree. I just love sewing/working with faux fur, even though it can be a pain sometimes!
I love all of my products, obviously, but if I had to pick a favourite, it would be THE SHANTÉ bag. I just love using it, and I get so many compliments when I do. I had never made a bag like this before, I was so happy that it turned out exactly how I wanted it to. When I was naming it, I knew it had to have a special name, because I loved it so much. That is why I went with my best friend's name.
Well, I do have two degrees in Fashion, but I started sewing when I was a child. My Auntie Ros taught me how to use a sewing machine when I was about 8/9 years old, and I have been hooked ever since. I was always a creative child who loved to draw, and I was obsessed with shopping/clothes, so I guess it was inevitable that I would end up wanting to study/work in fashion.
Throughout my schooling, I did textiles/sewing based lessons, and even made my own prom dress for my GCSE in Product Design. In college, I did Fashion & Textiles A level, along with Fine Art, Business Studies, and French (which I dropped after the first year). I then went to Loughborough University to do a Foundation Studies Degree in Art & Design, where I specialised in Fashion & Textiles. After completing that, I moved to Lincoln to do a BA degree in Fashion Studies, at University of Lincoln, for three years. When I finished my BA degree, I had a year off for personal reasons, and moved back home. During that year, I decided that I should go back to uni, and complete a Masters degree. This time I stayed at home and went to a local university. My MA degree in Fashion & Textiles (Fashion Specialism) was from De Montfort University, Leicester. My MA degree lasted a whole year, and it gave me the final boost into starting this brand. So to answer your question, I guess a bit of both. I'm still learning now, with every new product I design. Honestly, I don't think you ever stop learning.
I am assuming you mean for the brand, because if you mean personal future plans, then I have no idea!
My future plans for the brand is for it to keep growing basically. I would love to be able to have people working for me, have a studio that isn't in the spare room of my house, and expand into more homeware or even children's clothing. I guess the biggest dream is for this small business to be my forever job.
In a way, yes I do. Most items already come with so much customisation, from colour choice to adding initials, so I don't see what more I could do for some items. However, if you ever want to message me about an idea or custom orders, then either DM me on Instagram or email me, sandffashiondesigns@gmail.com ,,,. .
Images are not mine - Little Mix : https://www.instylemag.com.au/little-mix-fashion / Helen Anderson : https://www.instagram.com/helenanderz/?hl=en / Zoe London : https://www.instagram.com/zoelondondj/?hl=en / Megan Ellaby : https://www.instagram.com/meganellaby/?hl=en
Honestly, I love seeing anyone wearing my designs! It makes me so happy knowing that people love my products! But if you want me to name people, I will name a few out of a very long list of influencers/celebrities, haha!
Celebrity-wise, I would love to see the gorgeous girls from Little Mix wearing my designs. They are so stylish, sexy, sassy, and are willing to stand-out-from-the-crowd. Just love those girls, and their stylists do an incredible job.
For the influencers, I have a very long-list of people, so I will pick three for you. For many years, I have been obsessed with Helen Anderson & Zoe London's way of dressing, as it is very similar to how I dress. So, I would love to see them wear something I have designed. The other influencer is Megan Ellaby, who I discovered this year, on Instagram. I love how she clashes colours/patterns, and I think she would style my products in a way that I haven't thought of before.
Most of my fashion products are named after my female family & friends. The only two fashion products that aren't names after people that I know, are THE VENUS keyring & THE BESTIE clutch bag. I love naming my products after important people in my life, as it just adds a personal touch, for me. I don't know what I will do, once I run out of names.
And that is it for this round of questions. I hope this Q&A helped people get to know me & the brand more.
If you would like me to this again, then let me know!
Thank you again, to the people who ask a question.
Shannon Furniss
@sf_fashiondesign on Instagram
@SFfashiondesign on Twitter
@SandFFashionDesigns on Facebook
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