Just like the rest of us, Charlotte-based fashion designer Tara Davis experiences moments when her chosen profession leaves her a bit discouraged. That’s when she whips out a well-worn copy of Essence magazine, and reads through an interview with Tracy Reese for the umpteenth time.
Reese is a nationally recognized designer who first made it big with a line of clothing, and now creates everything from bedclothes to footwear. While Davis is intrigued by the success her fellow designer has enjoyed, what captivates her most about the article is its heartfelt message encouraging designers to never give up. After all, Reese — widely acknowledged as the fashion industry’s most successful African-American woman, with $12 million in sales in 2003 — failed 10 times before she found her niche in the design world.“Tracy Reese is my role model,” Davis says. “Because of the challenges and struggles she’s faced in the industry, I have faith that I can accomplish the same dreams.”Lines Of StyleDavis is the owner of Flow™ by Tara Davis, her design brainchild, and the byproduct of a lifetime’s worth of work and determination. In her studio, with its tastefully chic gold and purple walls, you can finger gingerly through Davis’ elegant but wearable designs, order a dress created just for you, or set up a consultation for a wardrobe makeover from Davis herself. The studio, located in the Hart Witzen Gallery in Charlotte’s NoDa district, is replete with cloth swatches, sketches, a dressing room, and dress forms that proudly display beautiful dresses from Davis’ signature line.
Davis designs cosmopolitan chic clothing for boutiques that cater to women with discerning tastes. She is wise enough to know that dresses are her forté, so she focuses all of her design talents in this area. Her styles specifically target 25- to 45-year-old professionals, which include “both working women and mothers who care about being stylish.” Her fashions, priced from $150 to $550, have been carried locally by stores such as Perris Boutique, on Selwyn Avenue.
To provide looks for a variety of women, Davis offers three lines: Flow Chic, which includes unique and very wearable jean dresses complete with elegant ruffles and smooth lines; her Signature Collection of matte jersey cocktail and evening wear; and Flow-istic, featuring striking, one-of-a-kind creations resulting from a partnership with local artist Alease McClenningham. The duo devised a way to incorporate McClenningham’s artwork into a glossy jersey fabric, melding the unique wares of two Charlottean artisans into one fashionable product.
In addition to selling her clothes individually and through boutiques, Davis holds seasonal trunk shows, with her next show coming up in April. She generally creates small amounts of clothing at a time, and so is not forced to carry large inventories. She works with CMT (cut, make, trim) companies that produce small quantities as needed.
A Cut AboveAs a child, Davis got her start designing clothes for her Barbie dolls, in addition to re-fashioning her own wardrobe — to her mother’s chagrin. Davis laughs when she recalls the havoc her unique fashion sense wreaked at home. “I would cut up brand-new clothes and recreate them into new, fashionable outfits!” she says.
A graduate of Garinger High School in Charlotte, Davis studied fashion design at The Art Institute in Atlanta for two years before returning, with her husband and child, to Charlotte, where she earned a business degree from Pfeiffer University. She has worked in a myriad of retail settings, including Express Clothing Store, where she served as the visual manager.
“I’ve been in fashion and retail all my life,” she says. “It was my childhood dream to have a clothing line. I took a leap of faith in 2003, part time, and then I took a dive of faith in 2008, full time!”
In 2003, a model friend challenged Davis to design her garments for a fashion show. At the time, Davis’ sewing machine was collecting dust in the attic. After much persuading, Davis gave in, eventually coming up with several outfits that, though not representative of her personal style, worked perfectly for the model.
The experiment encouraged Davis to revisit her dream, and she started producing clothes that year. By 2006, she was designing collections. She quit her day job in May 2008, and is currently finishing up her Master of Fine Arts fashion design degree at Academy Art University in San Francisco. “Designing and creating is a gift from God,” she says. “School has shown me what to do with my talent.”
It’s no secret that New York is the place to be for fashion mavens and designers alike, and fashion design is a difficult world to gain a foothold in, no matter where you reside. “I think any industry is difficult to break into when you don’t know the right people and don’t market effectively,” Davis says. “I can have the most beautiful designs, but if the right eyes don’t see it, it’s a loss.”
Davis realizes there are not endless opportunities for fashion design in Charlotte, which she considers to be both a negative and a positive. “Unfortunately, and fortunately, there are not many avenues for developing fashion design in Charlotte,” she says. “What I mean by this is, Charlotte does not yet truly appreciate a designer’s work. But at the same time, the city is changing. I believe that, eventually, Charlotte will have more designers like myself popping up, to prove we are just as fierce and talented as the veterans.”
For now, Davis continues to churn out new designs as she gears up for the new spring selling season. But her dreams are firmly rooted in her mind’s eye. “My ultimate goal is to be in more boutiques nationwide, and to continue to grow my client base,” she says. “I love working with individuals for that special event!”
TCW Sew Inspired
How Tara Davis Concocts Her Creations
Tara Davis, creator of Flow, turns to a variety of sources for inspiration — from a simple chair orarchitectural details to different fashion eras. Her favorite colors to work with in fashion are yellow, gray, gold, and purple. Her favorite fabric is matte jersey knit, which is both luxurious and comfortable, and is a hallmark of many of her designs.
Holding a delicate cascade of ruffles on a turquoise cocktail dress, she explains that the beauty of the elegant roll of folds is “all in the fabric.”
Davis says drawing was her first love, and she admits to spending much of her childhood with her nose in a sketchbook and a pencil in her hand. She says a design can go through many stages before the perfect end result is achieved.
“It changes quite a bit!” she says. “What looks good on paper sometimes doesn’t work on the body.” And finding that match between a great initial concept and a perfect finished and fashionable look is what Davis works toward as she creates.
Visit
http://www.flowbytaradavis.com/ to view more of Tara Davis’ designs.
