Meet Sarah Dawson | Lingerie Designer

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

Hi Sarah, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success and the success of my brand is how much I believe in any product I put out there. I say it all the time; you have to be the biggest fan of your work. Whenever I’m working on a new collection or working on a custom piece for a client, I have to ask myself “do I love this?” and “would I buy this?” When you believe in your product its much easier to promote it. In fashion, as well as many other industries, its very important to do market research and study your target market. After doing all of that research you should still produce a product that you also feel strongly about. It will always show if you are faking it because the passion isn’t there. I wear test any lingerie piece before I start producing it to sell. I also am never ashamed at finding something that needs improvement on a piece. If I love the way that it looks and feels I know I won’t shut up about it, which is a good thing.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I worked the corporate fashion world directly out of college for many years. I worked for a Sri Lankan based manufacturing company for about 8 years. Though they were based in Sri Lanka, they had a New York design office where we worked directly with the different accounts they had. I worked as a designer on the Victoria’s Secret account. Basically we would work hand in hand with the designers at the VS office to help pitch & execute designs from sketch to manufacturing. It was a role where we faced a constant task of trying to maintain a design aesthetic on a very tight budget and production timeline. Although the job was hectic at most times; I loved it because I learned so much. It’s rare that you get a job where you get to be involved or at least witness every step it takes to have something go from a sketch to being in the stores. Working for a vendor you get to see all of that, learn a lot of different skills and build a lot of relationships. A lot of these skills & relationships became very helpful with me now working on my own brand. I have access to so many fabric and trim suppliers I would have never even heard of and I’m even able to do simple task like develop a proper cost sheet for styles. I believe that if you are working towards eventually building your own company/brand, you should use every single job you hold before hand as a learning experience and building block to your goal.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love Brooklyn. I’m born and raised here and I am obsessed with it. You could definitely make a whole trip around Brooklyn. For locations to visit I would say the beautiful Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, sunsets at the Promenade, thrifting and touring Graffiti art in Williamsburg, any backyard party in Flatbush, and 1st Saturday’s at the Brooklyn Museum, roller-skate parties. For dining the list is endless; you have to try rasta Pasta from Footprints, beef patties from Tastee Pattee, Pies n’ Thighs, Nick’s Lobster House, Mac n Cheese from Soco. I could go on and on, lol I love food!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give a shoutout to my muse and face of the Sada by Sarah lingerie brand, Sydney Blaylock. Sydney started modeling pieces for my brand before it even had its name. Her confidence and overall boss mentality is the exact way I want everyone to feel in my pieces. She brings life to everything she models and is a force to reckoned with. Thank you Syd!

Website: www.sadabysarah.com

Instagram: Personal : @sadafashions Brand: @sadabysarah

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadabysarah

Image Credits
Photo of myself: Photographer: Sequoyah Daniel Hair: Alisha Richards Image 1: Yellow and Black Piece: Photographer: Sequoyah Daniel Model: Sydney Blaylock Images 2: Navy Blue Robe: Photographer: Sequoyah Daniel Model: Sydney Blaylock Image 3: Black polkadot Teddy: Photographer: Sequoyah Daniel Model: Jasmine Gayle Hair by: Alisha Richards MUA: Latisha Rankin Image 4: Black Polkadot Three piece: Photographer: Sequoyah Daniel Model: Sarah Dawson Hair by: Alisha Richards Image 5: Black Polkadot Three piece: Photographer: Sequoyah Daniel Model: Sarah Dawson Hair by: Alisha Richards Image 6: Brown Slip over Pink Two Piece: Photographer: Sequoyah Daniel Model: Deijah Robinson Hair by: Alisha Richards MUA: Latisha Rankin Image 7: Pink Bodysuit: Photographer: Sequoyah Daniel Model: Sarah Dawson Hair by: Alisha Richards MUA: Latisha Rankin Image 8: Black Teddy with polkadot Photographer: Sequoyah Daniel Model: Sydney Blaylock Hair by: Alisha Richards MUA: Latisha Rankin