A Chat With Senior Director & Designer Tina Blake
As an LA-based brand, it only makes sense that our styles are all designed right here in our hometown. Meet the talented woman behind the styles you know and love, Senior Director and Designer Tina Blake.
Q: When did you first realize you wanted to pursue a career in design?
A: My mother was a fashion designer, so I think I was about 8 years old playing dress up in a gown she was working on when I decided I’d like to do this forever!
Q: What is the best thing about design that most people don’t know?
A: That we get to travel the world to shop in different cities and get inspired for future collections. Recently we went to Australia, and soon we are headed to Barcelona, Paris, and London.
Q: When and how did you join the JustFab family?
A: I joined JF last April. I was working at another fashion company in LA when Maggie, the director of recruiting, reached out to me. As soon as she told me what company she was working for, I was in.
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Q: Can you tell us about any secret JustFab project you are working on and what makes it exciting?
A: If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret, but I will say we are always exploring new and creative ways to get the latest and greatest trends into the JF apparel line. As a fashion lover, that is always exciting for me.
Q: What was the biggest rookie mistake you made when you first started?
A: My first boss told me “what you sketch is what you get” in relation to the drawings we do for the collections…Well, when I was an assistant designer I was sketching out a dress on the computer and somehow deleted a sleeve before sending it to the factory and sure enough, my first sample came in with only one sleeve! From that moment on I knew it was all in the details.
Q: How would you describe your personal style?
A: Eclectic. Shopping is one of my personal hobbies so I tend to express my mood through my outfits which keeps my personal style ever changing.
Q: What are some key design elements you try to incorporate into each collection to give it that LA feel?
A: Some key elements I try and incorporate to give the collection that LA feel are, one, keeping comfort in mind. In LA Fashion has more of a casual feel and isn’t so focused on trend that we forgo comfort. Two, we keep things easy and don’t take ourselves too seriously. Fashion in LA is about self expression and having fun with your clothes, so we try and have that vibe in all we design.
Q: From conception to completion, what is the most rewarding part of the design process here at JustFab?
A: Many people don’t realize the design process includes so many different teams that come together to make the product come to life. We work with product development, merchandising, production, and tech design among others. The most rewarding part of the JF design process is collaborating with a group of people I admire and truly like spending time with!
