A Wish at Christmastime
Last Christmas, my sister Stacie gave me a little surprise ball — a bright, cheerful sphere filled with tiny treasures. Inside were a few trinkets that, at first, just made me smile: small charms, a marble I keep on my desk and touch for confidence, and a washcloth that read “Beautiful girl, you can do hard things.”
There was also a tiny ticket that said Good for One Free Wish.
At the time, House of Caswell was still just that — a wish. I had the vision: to take my pastel paintings and transform them first into repeating patterns, then into digital garments in CLO3D, and finally into real, tangible clothing that real women could wear — pieces that would help them feel beautiful, confident, and deeply seen. But I didn’t yet know how that dream would become real.
A Resolution to Begin
At the start of the new year, I made one resolution: to bring House of Caswell to life in 2025.
It felt bold, almost impossible. But I kept that wish ticket pinned above my workspace as a promise to myself.
In January, as I began researching production, I could already sense the economic uncertainty — whispers of trade tension that made overseas manufacturing feel unpredictable. Years earlier, I had taken a course at Portland Apparel Lab on starting a fashion business, and something that stayed with me was their focus on the benefits of domestic production: clear communication, smaller minimums, and the ability to ensure that every garment is made safely and ethically.
That mattered to me. I wanted to build a house rooted in integrity as much as artistry.
Finding the Right Partner
As I began reaching out to manufacturers across the United States, I found a production partner in Los Angeles who immediately felt aligned — transparent, meticulous, and deeply respectful of the artistic vision behind each piece.
From our very first conversation, I sensed it was the right fit. Their team guided me through sourcing and selecting the most beautiful fabrics, working closely with mills and printers who could translate my artwork into vibrant, painterly cloth. They took the patterns I drafted in CLO3D and transformed them into the first tangible fit samples for the Still Life collection.
We met over virtual fittings, adjusting every proportion and seam until each piece captured the exact feeling I wanted to express. When production began, they incorporated the numbered hang tags and Certificates of Authenticity I signed by hand — honoring the intention behind each limited-edition garment.
From Wish to Reality
That little wish ticket and marble sit on my studio shelf now. They reminds me how far a simple wish can go when it’s paired with intention and persistence.
House of Caswell was born from art, but built by countless hands — from the painter’s touch to the patternmaker’s precision.
It began as pigment and feeling, and now lives as cloth and form — art, transformed.