Selene's | My Site 1

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Selene's

Project Description

Students were responsible for creating a semester-long independent project as an opportunity to apply skills learned in past studios while also challenging themselves to learn new ones. The assignment emphasized self-direction, experimentation, and the development of a personally meaningful design outcome.

Team Members

Naomi Gaylor

See Full Design Report Here

Main Skills Used

Prototyping, Product Design, Graphic Design, Drawing, Sewing

Process

For my project, I chose to work independently so I could focus on skills I had long wanted to develop but had never had the time or space to pursue. From this intention came Selene’s, a mock brand centered on intentional style and handcrafted design.

My goals were to strengthen my graphic design practice by creating a full brand identity, learn how to sew through garment tailoring and construction, and improve my illustration skills through drawing and lino-cut printing. The final deliverables included a series of original graphic tee designs, a relined bomber jacket, and a tote bag sewn entirely from scratch.

Each tee design was rooted in personal narratives and symbolism:

“Ladybug Trails” — inspired by a poem about the ladybugs in my first apartment.
“The Floors and I” — based on a poem reflecting the many floors I’ve lived on.
“My Flowers” — featuring snowdrops and carnations, my birthday flowers.
“My NY” — a tribute to the MTA train lines I frequent.
“The Pantsless Stabber” — a humorous inside joke between my roommate and me.

To build my sewing skills, I first relined an oversized bomber jacket whose original bright orange lining I disliked. This served as my initial practice piece before tackling a full design from scratch: a patchwork tote bag made from old jeans. I designed it to finally achieve the “perfect tote”—one large enough for my laptop but not so oversized that my belongings got lost inside.

To complement the handmade nature of the physical work, I designed the Selene’s brand identity with the same ethos. My final design report took on a magazine-style layout, with process photos printed, hand-cut, and rescanned to create a tactile, crafted visual language that reflected the bespoke character of the brand.

Overall, this project is one of my personal favorites. It pushed me creatively and technically, merging graphic design, sewing, and illustration into a cohesive brand vision. My only regret is not having more time to deepen my sewing practice and produce even higher-fidelity garments.