Meet Brandy Godsil | Couturier, fashion designer and textile artist

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

Hi Brandy, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
Definitely being very driven, determined and not giving up. Even when things get very tough, have faith and keep going. It is definitely not all an uphill process and there inevitably will be many learning curves. Also, staying very disciplined in learning the craft. I searched and was persistent in finding mentors that would be willing to teach me. I wanted to learn from the best and knew that would be vital for my career.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have always been interested in the arts. My first forms of art were ballet and other various forms of dance, piano and drawing. When I was around six years old, I remember my mother drawing with me and showing me how to use pastels to draw ballet dancers, like Degas. I grew up in Los Angeles, CA where I would often visit local thrift stores, museums and attend many concerts. During middle and high school, I created figure drawings and learned how to draw the human form. This subject fascinated me and was a strong foundation for my art making. I altered my own clothing, often cutting up and styling my wardrobe with items found at vintage stores. in 2005, I attended the Maryland Institute College of Art, at first as a painting major but quickly switched to Fiber/Experimental Fashion. There I learned how to sew, pattern cut, and create various forms of textiles. I created my first fashion collections from my concept sketches. During my senior year, I interned in NYC for Isaac Mizrahi Couture collection. I knew I wanted to be in couture and to design and create one of a kind pieces, incorporating all of the beautiful aspects of the art of making clothing. After graduating, I went straight to NYC and began working for various fashion brands and ateliers. There I rigorously learned the craft of tailoring and patternmaking. I apprenticed with Nicholas Caito Atelier in patternmaking and draping, and working for luxury tailor shops such as MARNI and ETRO. I was extremely eager to the craft and constantly wanted to learn more.
I began working for tailoring agencies in 2015, where I tailored for red carpet events, photoshoots, editorial campaigns and high end clients. I connected with many stylists and other professionals in the industry. I also modeled for commercial campaigns and various brands. In 2015, I co founded a weaving non profit organization for people with disabilities called Intertwine Arts (previously known as SAORI Arts NYC) where I continued to pursue my love for textiles.
It has been challenging combining my love for precise tailoring and the fluidity of how I create textiles, but my atelier and design encompass both of those aspects. Often I create the textiles and then drape directly on the body and form to create the silhouettes. I also continue to draw my sketches by hand. It is challenging being a couturier, particularly in America where much is mass consumer driven and quantity vs quality. But not giving up and finding the right mentors, clients, and opportunities is key. I also travel for inspiration for my design ideas and concepts. I recently completed a group textile residency in Oaxaca with Thread Caravan, where we learned about many textile making methods such as natural dyeing with local materials. back strap weaving, and special embroidery methods. I will also be completing a month long residency in Iceland this May at the Icelandic Textile Center. It helps being surrounded by nature and beautiful forms of art making, as well as learning from locals in different regions. I also continue to further my education by taking courses at Central Saint Martins in London and keep my mind open to learning, exploring and connecting with other artists and designers.
In the beginning of the pandemic, I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina. This was a big but welcomed change for me. It allowed me to have more space, to constantly be around nature, and connect with many textile makers and artists. I travel every few months to NYC and abroad, but when I am back in NC, I create and teach in my atelier. It is great to be able to give back to my students and teach them the art of making garments and textiles. Atelier Godsil is a space where I can incorporate numerous forms of art making, create couture collections and teaching garment making, sewing, patternmaking, and fashion design.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love living in North Carolina and if you are a nature lover, this is a great place to be. When my family and friends visit, I like to take them to many of the gorgeous parks and lakes in the area. There are also lots of great community gardens and farms where you can see animals such as sheep, alpacas, goats, chickens, and rabbits. I bring people to the North Carolina State Farmers Market where vendors from all over North Carolina come to sell their fresh produce. There are the most beautiful flower bouquets at the market and it is open seven days a week. I often forage and find materials for my textile making while walking through nature filled areas. There are also lots of great restaurants and museums to go to downtown in Raleigh. I feel you get the best of both worlds here, as in an urban city life and the beauty of country living. Asheville is also a drive away where there are many great places to go in the mountains.
I highly recommend restaurants Tazza Kitchen and Cucciolo Terrazza. There is also first Fridays where the gallery and museums open late and there are open artist studio visits. Artspace and CAM are worth visiting, especially during first Fridays. The North Carolina Museum of Art also has many special exhibitions and permanent collections.
There are great antique stores and book stores here where I go for inspiration. NC State also has several libraries open to the public, including Hunt library where there is a bookbot, a robotic book delivery system where there are up to two million items stored. There are also beautiful views of the park and lake from the library.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am forever thankful for the mentors that taught me the craft of making beautiful clothes. I apprenticed with Nicolás Caito patternmaking atelier, and learned tailoring from many high end tailors including Angela at MARNI and Joel Diaz at Jolibe Atelier. I am also grateful for my agency 7th Bone Tailoring and the team for giving me the opportunity to work with the most high end and exclusive clients in the world.

Website: www.brandygodsil.com www.intertwinearts.org

Instagram: @brandy_godsil @atelier_godsil

Other: @intertwinearts

Image Credits: Luna Arboleda for my main profile photo.For the second image: Cosmopolitan Magazine Kazakstan photo: Anastasia Fursova Stylist: Sasha Troshchynska Model: Kyiona Carswell Makeup and hair: Katerina Kvacheva