interview: Kristin Mayer from Betty Designs

Hello people... today I present you with a special post. 

I've had the pleasure of meeting Betty Designs; do you guys now the label?

The talent behind it is Kristin Mayer, a freelance graphic designer that broke into the fashion industry and it is now conquering San Diego and the rest of the California sporty/surf scene.

I wanted to let you all know more about her, so that's why I interviewed her and you can read all about it here!

1. So, tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? What's your educational background? What are your general professional and non-professional interests?

I was born and raised in Weston, a small town outside of Boston. I migrated west to attend USC for college to study Fine Arts and Business and have been in California ever since. I have been passionate about design as long as I can remember. I'm an endurance junkie. I love fashion  and collaborating with great companies.

2. What got you from freelance graphic designer to fashion designer, when did you realize you wanted to break into the industry?

I had the opportunity to design some graphics for a couple professional triathletes in the late 90's. I have been racing triathlon since 1994 and started making my own gear to match my bike and helmet. I was bored with my choices that were in the market, so figured I would design some things that were different. 

3. What does fashion mean to you?

It's personal. You have to dress for your body, your personality. I love mixing things that don't go together like pairing a tough biker jacket with a feminine dress.

4. What was the first article of clothing you ever designed?

My career started in footwear design for L.A. Gear in 1990.

5. I know all independent fashion designers out there would like to know about the process: how hard was it to start building your brand and finding manufacturers for it? Did you get help from a friend, did you struggle with money, how was all that for you and what advice could you give to those aspiring designers about it?

It was scary. I took a leap of faith. I promised myself I would not go into debt to launch my line. It's completely self-funded and I kept any early profits in the business while I continued to freelance for others. I was fortunate because of my connections in the sports industry and working for other clients I knew who to go to to get the process rolling.

6. Where do you buy your fabrics and how do you get your unique prints on them?

I work with a local company. They have been doing the fabric sourcing which is (somewhat) limited due to the process of sublimating the graphics onto the gear. I have started trying to push the envelope and hope to push my manufacturer into trying some new things in the future.

7. How much time does it usually take for you to design a print and where do you get your inspiration? 

My inspiration comes from all different places. It can be the fashion runways, graffiti, the action sports industry or just come from some of my favorite things. The intricate print I did this spring for my snakeskin collection has probably taken me the longest. It had a lot of detail and had to be repeated a lot to get the scale just right on the garments.

8. Why the skulls and butterflies fetish? 

I love the juxtaposition of tough + pretty. I think women can be both strong (skull) and beautiful (butterfly).

9. What are some of your fashion goals?

To continue to push the graphics in sports wear to elicit a reaction and stand out from what is out there. I hope to co-brand with some companies in other industries (snow, surf) to do some new product launches. I also have an idea for another line that I'm thinking about launching in 2015.

10. Where can readers find out more about you and your work?

I have a tumblr "blog" of sorts where I post things that inspire me, that I covet and some of the work I do. You can check it out at bettystyle.com