Omaha Fashion Week’s new series The Front Row offers an up-close look at the creators and cultivators that are reshaping Omaha’s fashion and arts community. Winner of Fall 2019’s Featured Designer Golden Shears Award for her fifth collection showcased during Omaha Fashion Week, Crystal Brakhage shares how passion can become a career.
What inspired you to become a designer?
My mom forced me to sew when I was eight and I hated it. I thought it was awful. When I turned 18, I was like, “Okay, I’ll sew one more year if I can make what I want to make,” and I said, “I want to make a raincoat out of caution tape and a shower curtain,” and she was like, “What in the world?”
It ended up winning the County Fair, went to the State Fair, and out of the State Fair I was [in the] top 10 selected to go to a gallery at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln called the Robert Hillestad Gallery. I ended up winning that so UNL talked to me about fashion design.
I sewed one more year. This time, I made a dress out of newspaper and origami, went through the same process, and won it again. I finally transferred over to the university for merchandising, to begin with. I realized it wasn’t as hands-on as I wanted it to be and then I went over to design. I’ve been going ever since.
Crystal Brakhage walking the Allure Runway to Beauty with her Leo look. Photo by Kathy Rae Photography.
What does a day in the life of a designer look like?
If it’s just my fashion design day, usually what happens is I write out what I want to get done this week, what I want to get done today, and write out a schedule. I know for Omaha Fashion Week, you have to be 90% of the way done by Rack Check. Being organized and figuring out what needs to be done by then is a majority of it.
Where did the inspiration for your last collection in Omaha Fashion Week come from?
I was sewing my [previous] collection and I was actually watching this anime called Fairy Tale, and you see fights with her celestial spirits, so that’s where it came from. If they were real people, what would they wear? Taking it from these mythical creatures and these gods, creating it into a collection, and trying to figure out how to make it cohesive was the challenge. I thought about it for months and it worked out, I took the elements of earth, water, fire, and air and did it that way.
Left to right: Crystal’s favorite look, Aries, complete with fringe pants and horns, along with Leo and Sagittarius from her August 2019 collection. Photos by Heather and Jameson.
What advice would you give to others pursuing fashion design?
I actually have people that job shadow me quite a bit, and I tell them, “You got to have a backbone.” Going through interviews and rack checks, there are going to be people that don’t like your style and there are going to be people that love it. You just have to be able to take the criticism and move forward from it. I mean, that happens quite a bit in the fashion industry...people don’t see what you see. That’s my biggest advice, have a backbone and stay organized.
“I think Omaha Fashion Week is a great show for people like me.”
What has your experience with Omaha Fashion Week been like?
Great! I love Omaha Fashion Week. I think it’s an amazing show. It really helps designers because it’s free. I get asked daily to be in shows but their designer fees are so crazy high that I can’t afford them. I think Omaha Fashion Week is a great show for people like me.
The whole collection is showcased during the model walk. Photo by Heather and Jameson.
What are some of the main goals for your brand?
Growing it. I do want to get a website started...where people could go if they want to rent an outfit or order something from me instead of just going to my Instagram.
What should we expect to see from you in the future? Is another collection in the works?
'Equally Balanced’ is what it’s going to be called. It’s going to have hints of mimes in it. So, a very vintage, old school feeling to it. I have a pop-up shop next season since I was the winner of Omaha Fashion Week. I have to figure out what I’m going to sell in it.
Crystal Brakhage receiving the Featured Designer Golden Shears Award from Brook and Nick Hudson, Producers of Omaha Fashion Week. Photo by Heather and Jameson.
Don’t miss out on your chance to see more stories like this unfold on the Omaha Fashion Week Runway during our upcoming Spring 2020 show. Tickets go on sale December 1st!
After four years with Omaha Fashion Week, Crystal moves into new territory as a retailer in the Pop Up Shop and a headliner during shows. To find out more about Crystal Brakhage Designs, check out the links below.
Keep up with the Omaha creatives making waves in the community! Follow Omaha Fashion Week on Instagram for updates on The Front Row.
