Michelle LaFortune-Wamego - Making a difference through fashion

It all started with paper dolls. Tons of paper dolls - a whole community, in fact, of the best dressed paper dolls in the neighborhood. Michelle LaFortune-Wamego made paper dolls for her sisters and her friends, and it was then that her mother knew that Michelle would end up doing something in the fashion industry.

Flash forward to today - after working as a designer and pattern-maker for clothing, furnishings, and even for those huge blow-up marketing balloons - and you'll see a woman who is not only doing something in the fashion industry, she's taking it on an educational mission.

Click for a slideshow highlighting Michelle's work

Both of her boys are now in school, though, and so when she was approached about teaching in a new magnet-school arts program, she couldn't resist. As a result, she has found yet another facet to her fashion career - bringing both practical and aesthetic sides of fashion to a group of kids who otherwise wouldn't give it a second thought.

I asked Michelle some questions about her work - here's what she said:

K: You design so many different things - what is your favorite item to design?

Michelle: Dresses- I love both the casual and special occasion. I do mostly casual and "professional" (business) style for myself, and special occasion (cocktail, party, prom & wedding) for my clients. But I also do everything from active wear to coats!

K: Fashion is a hard and fickle industry - how have you kept yourself inspired to stick it through?

Michelle: I too have had my ebbs and flows throughout my career, in fact there have been times I haven't designed, sewn or even sketched in my life but eventually I always return the passion that burns within me. Since I began custom designing (6 years ago) as my job, I'd have to say it's my clients and their diversified requests that keep me inspired. I don't do only clothing. I also make and design items for interior design; everything from curtains, pillows and sofa slipcovers. I even work with several local interior designers for both private home and commercial business décor.

K: Tell us about your teaching job.

Michelle: I teach high schools students. We cover everything from career options in the fashion business, fashion illustration, textile design, construction (sewing), pattern-making, history, merchandising, branding/marketing, job costing, portfolio development and including an internship in the fourth year. This is a new program in Oklahoma High Schools and so there are no standards sets. I am basically writing the curriculum as we go each year. It is also new to be teaching this from an art and design angle where as in the past most of us may have had some sewing in home economics, but not this whole experience. The program is two years old and we plan to add a third and fourth year for the progress development through out the high school experience, and as our class sizes grow.

K: What do you enjoy most about teaching fashion?

Michelle I love seeing the "aah ha!" light bulb go off in the students heads when something clicks for them; it may be in the drawing or sewing segments, or they may find a career path that excites them and encourages them to apply for and go onto college (our school does not have a large percentage of students that go onto college) I also love to see the students' approach without the filters and restraints of the formal teaching I have had. I do so many things just the way so and so in my training had told me or made me do over and over until I got it right and then thought this was the only or proper way to go about making something. These kids don't know all that and will get from point A to point B in their own creative ways.

K: What lessons from this class can apply to students in other, non-fashion areas?

Michelle: I see it's mostly the confidence they build in here that shows up in other areas. I have seen in less than one year style changes and personal grooming change and improve with several students. Each project shows these kids that they can do it- if they are patient, work hard, and don't give up!

It's really amazing to see what happens when students learn outside of the basic subjects, and to have a woman like Michelle to guide them is the icing on the cake. She's a real inspiration for all of us, when it comes to living her passion - thanks Michelle!