“My designs are meant to celebrate children still being children. It’s hard these days for kids; they are growing up too fast.”- Brittany Alphonso
When you own your own business, sometimes you get lost and all caught up with…. work. It is so important as a creative person to keep pushing yourself; to continue to learn and grow. Advice from others is CRUCIAL! Recently I was a part of St. Augustine, Florida’s first ever Fashion Week! It was such an amazing event featuring 17 designers from NorthEast Florida. I want to share the work of these designers with you in a series of Designer Spotlights. For my first Designer Spotlight, I thought it only appropriate to feature the creator of St. Augustine Fashion Week, Brittany Alphonso. Brittany is the designer of a fabulous line of children’s clothing, Banana Bread Baby, while also juggling being a wife and mother of 3 youngsters. When I asked Brittany how she balances everything this was her response:
“I’m a full time Mom and that has always been my first job when people ask what I do. Lol. Juggling my to do list and kids isn’t easy. I like to get my mom duties out of the way during the day and work at night when they’re asleep and the house is quiet. Obviously, I don’t sleep much. It helps that I work well under pressure and I work even better when I have a lot to do….. I know it’s crazy.”- Brittany Alphonso
When Brittany was new to being a mom, she felt like she needed a hobby. She and a friend started a sewing group and she fell in love with the art of sewing! Her 3 children are the inspiration for Banana Bread Baby, which she started in 2009. Brittany began selling her designs at local markets and the response was unbelievable! Everyone loved these adorable little finds. From 2009 to now, Banana Bread Baby has grown tremendously. “I started small, got big and didn’t really like it. I stepped away from Zulily last Summer because it was transforming my little business into a large chain where I was pumping out orders in quantities that detached me from my passion.”
When I asked Brittany about her adventure to start STAFW, this was her response: “What I’ve learned in this venture is that anything is possible. With fashion week, I learned the power of positive attraction and the strength of community and volunteers. I was blessed with the best volunteers and people supporting my dream. We were able to create a platform for many area designers, artists, culinary professionals, photographers and shops to show off just what makes their businesses’ unique.”
“Launching St. Augustine Fashion Week helped me to see my business in a new light. It helped me to breath creativity and purpose back into my designs.”-Brittany Alphonso
Brittany is currently working on a new line called Banana Bread B-Tween. This line will be for girls who are not yet teenagers, but they aren’t babies anymore either. The collection will contain both trendy and classic pieces that they can wear and be proud of how they are dressed! Her first collection will be launched on April 30, 2016 at the Mother & Daughter Fashion Show at the University Club of Jacksonville.
I want to thank Brittany for being a part of my first local Designer Spotlight and for the honor to photograph St. Augustine Fashion Week 2016! I can’t wait to see her new collection!
