Photos courtesy of Heather Wakefield.
Hot Couture 2014 Designer Spotlight: Heather Wakefield
Heather Wakefield has been sewing things since she was a child. It really does not take much to get her going creatively and she describes her studio, Satellite Art Station, as “a large, timeless, magical place
with all kinds of fun little bits and fragments in it where it’s easy to lose a day or a week.” There she teaches classes and does custom couture, graphic design and photo portraiture.
She has studied modern dance and ritual fire dance and performance art theater became a passion which translated into four outfits that will be showcased at Hot Couture 2014.
Wakefield studied Fiber Arts at CCA and has a sculptural orientation to her work. She has studied with renowned Canadian designer and stylist Carol Beadle and learned fashion construction essentials at UMass while studying at Hampshire College.
“I like to win awards,” says Wakefield, “And I just find the whole fashion runway thing fun. It is a lot of work, but worth it! I retain this whimsical attitude in my work because it keeps it lively.
She has designed for performers, and for special events such as the opera. Though she has never worked for a costume department, she often shops their sales and pulls apart the garments and check them out.
She likes old patterns and vintage clothes – often things that are hand sewn and made well – and works mostly with natural fibers, but sometimes likes to experiment with new fabrics, textures, draping, patches, torn edges and different ways that pieces can fit together.
Wakefield’s team includes Jennifer Remmers and Krysta Lynn Kober.