Rachel Walters is an aspiring fashion designer and visual merchandiser. She has her bachelor's degree in Fashion Design from Missouri State University. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Rachel began sewing at the age of 4 with her grandmother. "Sewing with my grandma gave me a head-start on sewing when I went into high school." Without any previous drawing training, Walters also started sketching at a young age. "My sketches aren't anything amazing, but they definitely get the point across. The final product really showcases my skill." Growing up, Walters would cut out fabric and whip together a garment without any sort of pattern. "I just know how the pattern should look. I can tell by looking at a pattern whether or not it is correct. It's risky because if you don't know what you're doing, you can waste a ton of fabric. But somehow it always works!"
When Rachel began high school, she enrolled in a basic sewing class. "I knew how to use a sewing machine, but had never see a serger in my life! I thought it was the best invention of all time!" She took all of the sewing classes that her high school offered, and then they allowed her to take independent classes, where she taught herself. "I made my senior prom dress. It was gorgeous!
Completely one-of-a-kind and fit like a glove. I used to use clothes to create patterns, but I used measurements to create the pieces I needed for the gown... Little did I know that I was pattern-drafting!" Her teacher invited representatives from colleges to visit the classroom and speak to the students about potential careers. "Until someone came to speak to my class, I didn't know that I could go to college and get a degree in fashion design. I knew I wanted to attend school, but didn't know that my dream job was actually realistic!" That is when Walters began searching for schools that offered fashion design. "I looked at schools in New York, Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles, but I wanted a 'true' college experience. I wanted to join a sorority and live on campus and that wasn't possible in those cities."
Walters applied at Missouri State University (formerly known as Southwest Missouri State University) in Springfield, Missouri.
In the fall of 2005, Rachel began attending Missouri State University. With an amazing staff, she has learned the in's and out's of the fashion industry. "Our teachers have worked in the industry, so they get us connections and actually know what they're talking about!"
Walters was fortunate enough to be able to visit China during her spring break, sophomore year. "The fashion department took a trip to China for a week. It was the coolest place I've ever been. We were able to see a silk factory, markets, The Great Wall... It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience." She also visited New York with the fashion department in February of 2008. The trip was focused around finding internships and getting exposure to the industry. "We visited Tommy Hilfiger, showrooms, and received lectures from people in the industry. It was something I couldn't have done on my own."
For one year, Rachel conceived, illustrated, made the patterns for, sewed, and fitted her own collection. It consisted of seven outfits for a young expectant mother. The theme was "Wild Child" and the outfits were designed to be practical, comfortable, but fashion-forward. Rachel was two years ahead in her program and won an award for Best Sewing Construction for her collection and was up against the entire fashion department. "I didn't even know I was in the running for the award, but it was a huge honor!"
The summer of 2008 was a whirl-wind for Walters! "I visited L.A. at the end of May to film a reality television show. I competed against 3 other designers for a chance to dress a celebrity on the red carpet." Rachel was chosen out of hundreds of applicants and was the youngest person on the show. The show, called Who Are You Wearing, premiered August 22, 2008 at 10E/9C on TLC. Rachel was on the fifth episode, which showed September 19th, 2008. She competed to dress Laila Ali for a fund-raising dinner... After buying her fabric and getting back to the sewing room, Rachel discovered that the grain of her fabric was warped. "I thought I was going to die. I was devastated because I knew I couldn't really make it work. So I finished the gown the best I could and was still proud of what I'd done." Rachel got third place and was told by Laila, "I'd definitely wear it for a red carpet event."
A week after filming Who Are You Wearing, Walters left St. Louis to intern in Florida for the summer. "I chose to intern with Melissa Renee Maternity. It's a small, online company that targets fashion-forward expecting mothers." During her internship, Rachel created patterns, sourced fabric, and even started her own line for the company. "I'm very fortunate to have been given such an awesome opportunity!" Walters continued to work for the company throughout her final year of school creating patterns, sewing samples, and sewing orders.
During her senior year of college, Rachel began working for Buckle- the specialty denim store. "Doing sales was fun, and I was good at it, but it wasn't my thing." Rachel began doing visual merchandising for the company at their 3rd-largest store. "I dressed mannequins, merchandised the entire store, designed face-outs and displays... You name it!" Upon graduating, Rachel transferred to a Buckle closer to home. After doing visuals there for a few months, they asked her to assist in opening a new store. "It was such a great experience: I had to determine where product would go, how the store would be styled, where mannequins would be placed, etc. It was very intense but the store turned out great. The new store is doing amazing." She was asked to work as a visual merchandiser for that store and even helped prepare the store for a visit from the president of the comapany. "He flew in to visit the store. It was a HUGE honor. I was under a ton of pressure to make everything look perfect and sell great, but the visit was perfect. The ultimate compliment came when he said, 'We could shoot a video in here right now.'"
In October of 2009, the visual manager from Macy's wondered into Buckle and asked to speak with the manager. He told Matt Hill (the Buckle manager) that he wanted to recruit Rachel for visuals at Macy's. "She was the person I was looking for. I knew right away, just from seeing the store, that I wanted to hire her" said Phillip Lynn- visual merchandising manager for Macy's West County, Missouri's hub-store. Within a week, Rachel started at Macy's. "Getting recruited was an amazing compliment. All of the people at Macy's have been there for years, so to have them hire me, at such a young age with suck little experience, was an opportunity that I couldn't pass-up." Rachel is in charge of the Dresses, Children's, Women's Plus-Size, Intimate Apparel, Women's Shoes, Handbags, and Cosmetics departments at the large store. She does displays, styles mannequins, uses a Gerber machine to create vinyl adhesive transfers, utilizes corporate collateral, and is often hired to style the windows in the Downtown St. Louis Macy's location.
When Rachel began high school, she enrolled in a basic sewing class. "I knew how to use a sewing machine, but had never see a serger in my life! I thought it was the best invention of all time!" She took all of the sewing classes that her high school offered, and then they allowed her to take independent classes, where she taught herself. "I made my senior prom dress. It was gorgeous!
Completely one-of-a-kind and fit like a glove. I used to use clothes to create patterns, but I used measurements to create the pieces I needed for the gown... Little did I know that I was pattern-drafting!" Her teacher invited representatives from colleges to visit the classroom and speak to the students about potential careers. "Until someone came to speak to my class, I didn't know that I could go to college and get a degree in fashion design. I knew I wanted to attend school, but didn't know that my dream job was actually realistic!" That is when Walters began searching for schools that offered fashion design. "I looked at schools in New York, Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles, but I wanted a 'true' college experience. I wanted to join a sorority and live on campus and that wasn't possible in those cities."Walters applied at Missouri State University (formerly known as Southwest Missouri State University) in Springfield, Missouri.
In the fall of 2005, Rachel began attending Missouri State University. With an amazing staff, she has learned the in's and out's of the fashion industry. "Our teachers have worked in the industry, so they get us connections and actually know what they're talking about!"
Walters was fortunate enough to be able to visit China during her spring break, sophomore year. "The fashion department took a trip to China for a week. It was the coolest place I've ever been. We were able to see a silk factory, markets, The Great Wall... It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience." She also visited New York with the fashion department in February of 2008. The trip was focused around finding internships and getting exposure to the industry. "We visited Tommy Hilfiger, showrooms, and received lectures from people in the industry. It was something I couldn't have done on my own."
For one year, Rachel conceived, illustrated, made the patterns for, sewed, and fitted her own collection. It consisted of seven outfits for a young expectant mother. The theme was "Wild Child" and the outfits were designed to be practical, comfortable, but fashion-forward. Rachel was two years ahead in her program and won an award for Best Sewing Construction for her collection and was up against the entire fashion department. "I didn't even know I was in the running for the award, but it was a huge honor!"
The summer of 2008 was a whirl-wind for Walters! "I visited L.A. at the end of May to film a reality television show. I competed against 3 other designers for a chance to dress a celebrity on the red carpet." Rachel was chosen out of hundreds of applicants and was the youngest person on the show. The show, called Who Are You Wearing, premiered August 22, 2008 at 10E/9C on TLC. Rachel was on the fifth episode, which showed September 19th, 2008. She competed to dress Laila Ali for a fund-raising dinner... After buying her fabric and getting back to the sewing room, Rachel discovered that the grain of her fabric was warped. "I thought I was going to die. I was devastated because I knew I couldn't really make it work. So I finished the gown the best I could and was still proud of what I'd done." Rachel got third place and was told by Laila, "I'd definitely wear it for a red carpet event."
A week after filming Who Are You Wearing, Walters left St. Louis to intern in Florida for the summer. "I chose to intern with Melissa Renee Maternity. It's a small, online company that targets fashion-forward expecting mothers." During her internship, Rachel created patterns, sourced fabric, and even started her own line for the company. "I'm very fortunate to have been given such an awesome opportunity!" Walters continued to work for the company throughout her final year of school creating patterns, sewing samples, and sewing orders.
During her senior year of college, Rachel began working for Buckle- the specialty denim store. "Doing sales was fun, and I was good at it, but it wasn't my thing." Rachel began doing visual merchandising for the company at their 3rd-largest store. "I dressed mannequins, merchandised the entire store, designed face-outs and displays... You name it!" Upon graduating, Rachel transferred to a Buckle closer to home. After doing visuals there for a few months, they asked her to assist in opening a new store. "It was such a great experience: I had to determine where product would go, how the store would be styled, where mannequins would be placed, etc. It was very intense but the store turned out great. The new store is doing amazing." She was asked to work as a visual merchandiser for that store and even helped prepare the store for a visit from the president of the comapany. "He flew in to visit the store. It was a HUGE honor. I was under a ton of pressure to make everything look perfect and sell great, but the visit was perfect. The ultimate compliment came when he said, 'We could shoot a video in here right now.'"In October of 2009, the visual manager from Macy's wondered into Buckle and asked to speak with the manager. He told Matt Hill (the Buckle manager) that he wanted to recruit Rachel for visuals at Macy's. "She was the person I was looking for. I knew right away, just from seeing the store, that I wanted to hire her" said Phillip Lynn- visual merchandising manager for Macy's West County, Missouri's hub-store. Within a week, Rachel started at Macy's. "Getting recruited was an amazing compliment. All of the people at Macy's have been there for years, so to have them hire me, at such a young age with suck little experience, was an opportunity that I couldn't pass-up." Rachel is in charge of the Dresses, Children's, Women's Plus-Size, Intimate Apparel, Women's Shoes, Handbags, and Cosmetics departments at the large store. She does displays, styles mannequins, uses a Gerber machine to create vinyl adhesive transfers, utilizes corporate collateral, and is often hired to style the windows in the Downtown St. Louis Macy's location.
www.melissareneematernity.com
