The Nantucket Fashion Workshop for New Designers
This is for you if…
You are new to the design world and wish to find your place in it with clarity and confidence;
You are ready to explore and discover your unique voice in design;
It's time to learn the skills to holistically balance your creativity with the demands of life.
On this retreat you will…
Explore new avenues of design and enrich your skills;
Collaborate, network and connect with other artists
Remove the obstacles that are keeping you from where you wish to be;
Stay true to fundamentals while following your creativity;
Share this experience to…
Step away, collect yourself, recharge and renew;
Form bonds, work one-on-one, and move confidently toward your purpose;
Enjoy personal enrichment, anticipate the future and illuminate solutions;
Discover interdisciplinary fashion interests and connections.
You have a gift; it’s time to get it out into the world.
The Faraway Island
This endlessly inspiring art colony and wild slip of land in the middle of the ocean matches any capital of the world. Over the centuries, Nantucket’s local and international communities have built relationships in the fashion and art worlds and still offer unique gifts on this enduring island for an unparalleled experience. Any smart, enthusiastic person, 21 or older, from any background, is welcome to apply to this limited size retreat designed to ignite your creative passion, to better know yourself authentically to align your purpose with direction and energy in this week mentored by an experienced Paris-trained Designer and a proven Master Life Coach to help you to move confidently forward in your life and career.
Our Explorations
You’ll arrive on the charming yet rugged island, and the exploration will begin. We’ll examine closely and compare fashion trends and construction at a number of shops, boutiques and toggeries – including those that buy at Paris Fashion Week, other European-sourced boutiques, vendors that create their own textiles and fashion lines, whose skill and artistry reflect varied approaches to design. We’ll scour vintage couture for inspiration, sustainability and a song. We’ll spend a day exploring fashion history on a global scale at the Whaling museum, Atheneum and other Historical Association sites.
Walk The Wild Side
And then there’s the wild side of Nantucket. We’ll visit the variety of beaches, woods, moors, bluffs, wharves, nooks and crannies to think, paint and create today’s designs inspired by what we find. We’ll see the Shipwreck and Lifesaving Museum, a phenomenal tribute to humanity, and explore our own voice. We’ll roam the village on the far side of the island where, for centuries, artists spent their summers. We’ll browse the galleries of the Artist’s Association. We’ll ride, trek, visit, journey, cross, sail, cruise and voyage on the path to our own passion and life’s work.
Who, When & Where:
May 18-24, 2023
Nantucket Island, Massachusetts
The Venue and our Hosts
When you step onto this beautiful Island, you will arrive at the hotel with six nights of accomodation and into a wonderland. You will be guided on a journey of adventure, exploration and self-discovery by a Master Life Coach, and Paris-trained Designer and Fashion & Design Workshop Founder, Catherine Lochtefeld Sirianni, who can provide a long-time insider’s access to the island’s treasures.
Nantucket Massachussets
Included in the Workshop
We will revel in two daily 2-hour in-depth design sessions, exploring industry elements with all materials included, one session after breakfast, the second after a delicious lunch, dinner or cocktail hour. We will venture on an hour-long daily exploration session at a uniquely beautiful venue: beach, fireside, harbor, moor, bluff, park, wharf or woods to delve into our uniqueness and each plan our path forward. Throughout the week, there will be time to take a beat, explore the town or surrounding areas.
-Included: All necessary materials and tools for the Workshop to complete a cohesive portfolio of your designs for interviews. Daily fashion, museum or gallery tours, networking with artists and artisans. A transportation pass, free time to reflect, connect, explore and socialize. 6 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners and 5 cocktail hours. Transportation on island for all instruction, entertainment and fees when with the group including a Nantucket Historical Association membership.