photos by mary lee desmond at red hot box studios hair by kayla dupras make-up by jessie ammons-carswell
playfulness, a perfect fit for those who want to stand out. Desmond’s stint on The Voice over the summer encouraged her work in design to grow and mature after millions of viewers watched her perform. “They enjoyed that I stuck out from the rest,” she says, because of the clothes that she chose to design and wear. She does admit, however, that she often butted heads with the styling team because she wanted to wear her own designs and refused to not have a say in what she wore on air. Ultimately, she was able to get one of her designs on the show. This was empowering for Desmond, who has never had a design reach such a large audience. Because of her new growing fan base, she has been pushed to strengthen her design and performance skills. This has proved to be a challenge for Desmond, whose lifestyle doesn’t allow for a typical nine to five job. While being her own boss has its perks, she confesses that sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated to work. Since appearing on national television, Desmond’s outfits have been in the public eye for promotional use, but Desmond is currently working on launching a website that will feature more attainable every day style that still have the same type of flair as her showcase pieces. These designers may not have average occupations, but designing is more of a lifestyle choice than a career choice. Not all designers began their fashion careers when they were young, so getting into the practicality that designing includes can be a struggle. Alves took pattern making classes at Massachusetts College of Art and Design after earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. “I was exploring