Extol Magazine Celebrating Southern Indiana is a local publication that covers stories about businesses people places or events throughout the cities of New Albany Jeffersonville Clarksville Sellersburg and Louisville KY
Issue link: https://extol.epubxp.com/i/475732
he frst time I met Frances Lewis, we were sitting in her New Albany studio discussing the debut of her fall collection and frst runway show. Not only was the excitement and stress of presenting herself to the community as a credible designer apparent, but so was her unwavering determination to do so for a greater good: Te Cabbage Patch Settlement House. Lewis was 9 years old when she became a part of "Te Patch." Te local children's charity, which helps empower at-risk youths and their families, was "a part of many frsts in my life: frst job as a teen, frst real camping experience, frst time of a diving board, my frst play, so many new experiences," she said, "and they have supported me so much in my current endeavors. I know what they've done for me; I know what they've done for my friends. What they do there works. I want to help them keep their mission going as long as they can." When Lewis presented her fall 2014 collection to a crowd of local fashion enthusiasts from both sides of the bridge, the event beneftted the Cabbage Patch and provided a big career boost forward. Now, six months later, her studio space and ideas on the direction she wants to take her clothing brand Ann DeEvelyn have grown as rapidly as her client base. Lewis may not have always known that she wanted to be a fashion designer, but she always had a deep appreciation for fabric and a knack for creating things with her hands. "I remember asking Santa for material as a child," said the designer, who grew up in Shively, Kentucky. Tis afection for fabric and the ability to create something with it stayed with Lewis and eventually pushed her into the world of costume design while she studied theater at the University of Louisville. Tanks to a runway course, Lewis was able to work on her aesthetic as a designer. "My background in costume design taught me how to sew on a professional level and helped me appreciate the little details that can make a piece of clothing unique." Lewis is currently hard at work on her fall collection and will also showcase her work at a handful of 28 EXTOL • 2|15