Meet Poppy Gillett | Young Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Poppy Gillett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Poppy, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?

Hi, I’m Poppy Gillett and I’m 12 years old. My journey in fashion started in Munich Germany. I was born there. See, my parents were ex-pats and I lived there almost half my life. The thing about Munich Germany is that the winters are long and cold. So because we were stuck in the flat , my mom decided that she was going to teach me how to sew at the age of four. We started making tunics and tutus and selling them at local German markets. One thing my mom would always say is how the European women really appreciated a handmade item. And that stuck with me.

Fast forward to moving to America. I kept up with learning new sewing skills and heard about the Greenville Fashion week show in my town. I was invited to participate as a young designer and have participated now for five years running. Every year, the show grows bigger, and my fashion collection also grows with it. I started my first show with six pieces in my collection, and now in 2024, I fit 24 models with one of a kind pieces. I have never done two of the same pieces and the Greenville fashion show is my favorite event of the year. Maegan Heinz, the organizer of the show has always included me in all things Fashion in Greenville, South Carolina.

Another group that has inspired me to continue with Fashion has been the Charlotte Fashion Collective . The Charlotte Fashion Collective known as CFC is a collaboration of models, photographers, hair and make up artist, and designers that all come together to promote each other and lift each other up as artists in the southeast. My collection has been shot by some amazing photographers as you can see by the pictures I shared what great work they do. My favorite thing about Charlotte Fashion Collective is that it is very diverse and all inclusive. And Todd Burton the organizer has created environment where people of all ages gain confidence and book jobs for print, modeling, and commercial work.

When I first started designing, I really focused on designing for bodies that look like mine. But as I’ve grown and learned more sewing techniques, I find it super important to design for other body shapes too. And this year specifically I was really proud that some of the outfits that I made fit a 12 year-old girl, but also fit a 40-year-old woman . That was pretty cool to fit both body types.

I am also a child actor and I ride motocross with my family. So I think I have a good design life /being a young kid-balance in my life. My parents keep me grounded and focused on being a good human and doing the right thing.

As far as what the future holds for me, my goal this year is to create a fantastic website and grow my Instagram pages. I’d like people to be able to buy my one of a kind accessories, (specifically Earrings)
from those platforms, but I get a little scared about publishing them. I mean, if you have ears you’re going to want a pair. Lol. So I could use some help in the area of setting up and growing the Poppy’s Garden Designs brand.

I hope you enjoyed learning about my journey. Xoxo, Poppy

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One thing about my designs is that I am determined to make it from The ground -up. To me, ordering bulk garments from an overseas company and then bedazzling it and calling it couture isn’t as special as creating something from scratch. Now I’m young I’m not saying that I can make everything on my own’s. But I do set out to try and learn how to make the structure of things so as I grow, I can add to those fundamentals and be a better designer

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love my little town of Greenville, South Carolina. So if I had a friend in town, I would take them down to the Falls Park area, which ironically used to be the textile area of town. But now it is Beautiful area with very cool southern vibe. I would take them to Grand Bohemian Hotel so that we could look at all the art and all the jewelry. And then I would try and find my favorite street -sketch artist name Calvin Blassingame game so that he could draw our sketch and I could put it in a frame forever. Then I would take them to my favorite boutique downtown Greenville called Lou’ Lou’s Boutique. I hope you have my earrings in the Lou Lou’s shop one day!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shout out to my brother , Mason Gillett for always modeling the clothes I make for him, even when he doesn’t want to. Shout out to my Mimi, Papa and parents for always keeping me grounded. And thank you to the Charlotte Fashion Collective, JPervis Talent Agency, My publicist, Amanda Abelita with AB/PR who always finds ways for me to collab with other artists, Greenville Fashion Week and everyone that has supported my little fashion hobby!

Website: Www.poppysgardendesigns.com

Instagram: Www.instagram.com/poppysgardendesigns www.Instagram.com/poppygillett

Others: Www.Charlottefashioncollective.com Www.jpervistalent.com amanda@abelitapr.com https://www.abelitapr.com/home , http://www.photographybyjlewis.com/

Image Credits