Meet Liz Scarpino, the designer behind Single Handedly Liz. Read on to learn about her creative process and how she works to create clothing that makes women feel their very best!
How did you get into fashion? Tell me a little about your background.
I’ve have always loved art and drawing. Any time that I would pick up a pen or pencil I would be drawing dresses or coming up with some cute outfit, even doodling in my school notes. I didn’t think about making fashion a career until I began considering college and as soon as I took my first sewing class, I was hooked. I ventured out from sewing and took a couple dyeing and digital printing classes and that’s where my passion is. I think creating a garment that makes someone feel their absolute best is amazing and taking it a step further and making it one-of-a-kind by designing the fabric is even better. I am so excited that I get to do this for the rest of my life.
Hand dyed silk chiffon off-the-shoulder dress, yellow color created using yellow onion skins
Describe your brand and the point of view you wish to convey. What category does your brand fall under?
Single Handedly Liz is a women’s wear brand. It's all about feeling your best and brightest, even on your toughest days. As the creator of Single Handedly Liz, having a paralyzed arm has continued to inspire me. I want women to feel like they are unstoppable and that they are the best versions of themselves when they wear my clothing.
What are your personal goals or goals for your brand?
I want women to feel empowered and confident when they wear my brand. In the future, I would love to make customized Single Handedly Liz designs available in my own boutique that also sells other high-end clothing.
Describe your favorite project or projects that you have worked on.
The collection I showcased at Omaha Fashion Week in February, 2017 has been my favorite project so far. Never in my life have I been so stressed out, but so incredibly proud of myself for completing something. I pushed myself further than I thought I ever could, and it reassured me of my future in this industry. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to show in the 10 year anniversary show in a few short weeks and I’m so excited to share with you all what Single Handedly Liz has to offer for SS18!
Hand dyed silk chiffon fabric, made with steamed flower petals
Where do you look for inspiration?
I look at current and upcoming trends in silhouettes and colors and how they’re related. I look at trend forecasting sites, such as WGSN, and high-end fashion magazines to see what other designers are doing and creating.
Describe some of the specific inspiration for your new collection.
The specific inspiration for my SS18 collection was the silhouette and styling trends from the 1970s and ‘90s, like bell-bottomed jeans, culottes, and patchwork denim. I wanted to use the natural dyeing process to create muted, natural tones in my garments and to really bring the 1970s color scheme to life.
What kind of materials do you use and why?
In the past I have used man-made dyes and chemicals to dye my fabrics. This time around I wanted to use less harsh materials during the dyeing process and I am making this collection completely eco-friendly. I am using all natural materials for garments and dyestuffs, including silk and cotton fabrics, and fruits, vegetables, and bugs for dyes.
Knit cotton bodysuit, hand dyed with steamed flower petals
What kind of special processes do you use and what effect does it have on your work?
Hand dyed fabric makes every single piece unique, no matter how many times you make the same thing. It will always turn out different and that’s something I love about the process of hand dyeing.
Is this a new approach for you or is it consistent throughout your work?
Hand dyeing is something that I used in my last collection, however natural dyes are new to me. I’ve enjoyed the challenges of finding just the right hue of a certain color on a certain fabric and there’s been a lot of experimenting this time that I didn’t have last time. I’ve learned so much and I’m really glad I’ll be able to apply that to future collections and garments.
Check out Liz’s website to learn more and follow along on Instagram and Facebook to watch as she continues working on her SS18 collection to be debuted this August at Omaha Fashion Week.