Today we’d like to introduce you to Corinne Brothers.
Hi Corinne, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in North East Ohio – the first time I went to New York City, I was ten years old and I knew it was the place for me. I was always interested in clothing, design and story-telling. My paternal grandmother, Barbara, taught me how to sew when I was 12 on a machine purchased for me from my maternal grandfather, John; I still have that Kenmore sewing machine in my studio and use it whenever I need to stitch a seam. I went to college at Kent State University – I started my degree in Fashion Design but switched majors to Fashion Merchandising halfway through my sophomore year. I loved designing, sewing, and especially pattern=drafting, but I hated the rigidity of the program structure – I found the institutional boxes we needed to check solely for the sake of matriculation suffocating rather than inspiring.
I’ve always clashed a bit with institutions – when I was a kid my mom, Lorraine, used to tell me “you’ve got to know the rules before you can break them.” That saying stuck with me. I think design, and life, is about experimentation; you’ve got to try new things to figure out what works on an individual level, but meaningful experience is built on a foundation. I completed my BS in Fashion Merchandising, minoring in Economics and Costume Design. I worked in the university costume shop, pattern-drafting and sewing, and entered a bunch of design contests both on and off campus. I also discovered that I love business. This wasn’t a total surprise – my parents are both entrepreneurs, and I’d always known that I eventually wanted to start my own thing. After KSU, I pursued a MFA in Costume Design at Carnegie Mellon but again found myself clashing with the traditional structure of a reparatory theatre program. While at CMU, I stumbled across an MA program at the University of the Arts London – Costume Design for Performance at the London College of Fashion – which focused on experimental costume design, where costume was the sole language for story, action, and entertainment. I loved this program, and I loved London even more than New York.
After nearly two years in London, I moved to Los Angeles in 2017. I’d picked the West Coast for a change, but I really didn’t think it would stick. I’d thought I would ultimately pivot back to New York, where I’d spent a year in my early 20s. In LA, I started from scratch – I rented my 1st studio in a drafty Boyle Heights warehouse, where I started freelance pattern-drafting for emerging designers and brands. I cut and sewed samples, offering fittings and design services. In 2018, Rule Design & Development was officially born – I incorporated as a single-member LLC and started to grow my clientele. In 2019, I took a studio space in South Pasadena, near my home in NELA, where I am currently based. I love living in Los Angeles – it is such a creative city with a vibrant apparel and design community – I am honored to be a part of it.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve noticed I tend to get in my own way as much as anything else and that it ultimately comes down to perspective. Being a small-business owner, I learn something new literally every single day. 2020 was difficult, but it taught me to be kind to myself. I’ve learned to see the lesson in every error and take each moment as it comes. I love the levity that is inherent to fashion – even when something goes wrong, it’s not the end of the world, and that’s a good place from which to operate. The longer I go on the less myopic I become. It feels nice to look back on the challenges I’ve experienced in the development of my business over the last few years and know that regardless of the stumbles, or maybe even strangely because of some of them, I made it to today – it makes the struggles of tomorrow feel more manageable.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Rule Design & Development?
From design through development, pre-production and production, we work with mission-driven brands to bring their visions to life. I love working one-on-one with my clients, hearing their ideas and helping make them a reality. We’re like an in-house design team for small companies, specializing in niche areas. Our clients have unique perspectives as designers – often they are focusing on a specifically underserved sector or bringing an apparel product to market that is entirely new. I am passionate about sustainable sourcing and pursue material selection with great care – we want to make the most of what we work with and only choose the highest quality materials. For our in-house label, Barbra Lorain, I work exclusively with dead-stock fabrics and fabrics featuring all-natural regenerative fibers and like to encourage my clients to do the same. We work with an amazing community of creators in the Los Angeles area to keep production local. We also offer branding and digital marketing services. Education is at the root of my business ethos – I like to share the process with my clients, helping them learn as we progress.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My family and friends have always supported me in my ventures – especially my dad, Mark. I named my clothing line Barbra Lorain, after my paternal grandmother and mother, and several pieces featured across the collections are inspired by variations of my closest friend’s names – like the Clare dress, which is named for my sister. My first job in Los Angeles was at Lori Dorman Photography. I learned how to manage people – both artists and clients – and how to run a creative small business working as Lori’s studio manager. Every day I’m still grateful for this job, all that it taught me, and for my lasting relationship with Lori. I also worked nights and weekends at Sew FYI, teaching sewing and pattern-drafting during my first year in LA. This job provided me a shared studio space and base for which to grow my initial business, including my partnership with Crystal Cave of Poppy Row.
Crystal was my first client and I’m proud to say that we still work together today. It was also here that I met fellow designer and instructor Olamiposi Somoye, who three years later recommended me at FIDM, where I currently teach in the Design Department. Lissa Zwalen Thoeny of Aquarius Cocktail taught me so much about small-batch apparel production in DTLA, and I’ll forever be grateful for her mentorship. My assistant Abby Fetke is an incredible support – she joined my small team just over a year ago and has aided in our growth and organization. Lastly, I am so grateful for my partner, Matt Kilbourne, who taught me that love means elevating each other so we can achieve and surpass our personal goals and who makes me feel cared for every day.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: ruledd.com
- Instagram: @rule.la
Image Credits:
Nicki Contreras (Personal Photo + 3 Barbra Lorain Images)
