Behind the Seams

Like so many designers, fashion was a part of Rachael Eagens' identity from an early age. She grew up in Rocky River, Ohio, a suburb near Cleveland. "Early on in my childhood, I started to do what came naturally to me: styling outfits, creating my own look books, drawing flats and illustrations, having my own photo shoots, and probably even more that I have forgotten to mention.  Fashion has always been a part of who I am. Bill Blass put it best, 'Style is primarily a matter of instinct.'"

Rachael didn't realize that she wanted to pursue a career in design until her second year of college at the University of Dayton. "I started to do some real soul searching about who I was and who I wanted to become.  I was out shopping during my Spring Break when it hit me: fashion. Why was I not going to school for fashion?"

She moved to Chicago and enrolled in the International Academy of Design and Technology.  After her first semester, she transferred to the Kent State Shannon Rogers School of Fashion, in Kent, Ohio, where she majored in fashion design and merchandising. She completed her internship at the Green Room in New York City, and graduated from Kent State in the summer of 2009.

Since graduating from college, Rachael has been working on her own label, RKE Clothing. (RKE stands for Rachael Kathleen Eagens, her full name.) She has completed her first collection, which is showcased on her UsTrendy page.

As a designer, fashion means a great deal to Rachael. "For me, it is a visual expression, a confidence builder, and the first impression the world gets of you." She believes that fashion should give a woman the confidence to "the confidence to go out and achieve anything she puts her heart and mind into!"

She designs primarily for women age 25 and up, because they are the market sector that does the most shopping, and are the most affected - often emotionally - by what they purchase. "I cannot tell you how many stories I’ve heard about women getting upset and depressed during a shopping experience. This is what drives me to want to create something better. This is why when I create clothing it is so important to me, because not only am I making something, but also I am changing a woman’s life for the better!" Her motto is, "feel good fashion for all women."

Rachael Eagens is a featured UsTrendy designer. View her blogs and portfolio at:http://www.ustrendy.com/rke/