Lily Girls Magazine

By Miranda Canady

She sews her own clothes. Has her own fashion line. And she’s 10! Meet Cecilia Cassini – popularly coined as “the youngest fashion designer in the country!”  We stumbled across Cecilia’s fashion line on the internet where we fell in love with her clothing collections, unbelievable talent, and inspiring story. Not only is this fashionista extremely gifted, but she is also eco-conscious and benevolent. She often repurposes old clothes to make her chic new fashion lines and she gave away her original sewing machine to a young woman who was accepted to fashion school and could not afford her own. We got an exclusive interview with Cecilia to find out what life is like as a 10-year old fashion designer…

**Photo Credit: Lionel Cassini

LGM: When did you start designing clothes?

CC: My parents say I was three years old when I started designing clothes

because I would “decorate” my dresses with paint and stuff, but I was really

about five or six when I started drawing my own designs and sewing them.

LGM: What made you want to start your own collections?

CC: I started my own collections because I absolutely love clothes and can never

have too many! This way I can have a new dress anytime I want and it can

look exactly how I want it to!

LGM: How would you describe your own personal style?

CC: My personal style is definitely fashion-forward, but classic and bright, but

not over the top! It is from every aspect of my life – from going to school

in hip and casual to parties in fabulous and fancy party dresses.

LGM: Who is your favorite designer and why?

CC: Coco Chanel is my favorite all-time fashion designer because of her

beautiful and never-go-out-of-style designs, along with splashes of color or

something a little risky or unexpected! Today, I absolutely love Karl

Lagerfeld because he is carrying on the tradition of Coco and adding touches

of his fun and fantastic ideas too!

LGM: What do your friends think of your style? Are they as fashion forward as you?

CC: My friends think I am “fancy” and “fashionable” because even when I go to

school I always like to wear something fashionable – sometimes I take too

much time to choose my outfit in the morning, which makes me and my brother

late to school. Some of my friends are as fashion forward as me and some are not, but

most of the girls I know like to look pretty.

LGM: What inspires you?

CC: I get inspired by the world around me. Sometimes I get inspired by beautiful

Scenery or flowers while walking around somewhere. I have been lucky to

go to Paris a lot because my Dad is French and I get inspiration from there

too. Of course I get inspired by fashion magazines and Project Runway too.

LGM: Other than fashion, what are some of your interests?

CC: Other than fashion, I like to spend time with my family and friends. I have

been really lucky to be able to travel (my favorite so far has been France)

and I hope to be able to do more of that soon. I have fun playing tennis a

couple of times a week with the same girls I have been playing with for

almost three years. My Mom teaches Yoga so I like to do it when she comes to

our school to teach or when I go with her sometimes on the weekend.

LGM: What are your favorite pieces from your own closet?

CC: I am very attached to a very soft pink cashmere sweater that has embroidered

flowers and a few sparkles on it. When I got it, it was huge on me. Now,

over the years, it keeps getting smaller and smaller on me – but it still

looks cute! Also I have a dress I designed and made that is blue with lace

and sequins – I love it!

LGM: What is your favorite accessory?

CC: My favorite accessories are my pearl necklace and red Chanel handbag (my

Grandma from Paris gave it to me!)

LGM: Which collection is your favorite so far and why?

CC: My favorite collection is my “BOW” collection because it is my latest!

LGM: Are there certain colors, materials, or fabric that you are particularly

drawn to?

CC: Actually, I love all fabric. When I go to my favorite fabric stores “Mood,”

and “F&S” I go crazy! The colors pop and I need to touch the fabric! So I

guess I like bright and happy colors that are soft and soothing.

LGM: What type of sewing machine do you use?

CC: Right now, I use a Brother sewing machine. I used to use a Singer sewing

machine, which I loved too, but I gave it to a 20 year old lady who was

starting fashion design school but could not afford to buy herself a

machine.

LGM: Are you currently working on any new collections? Care to give us a

sneak peek?

CC: I have been working on a “bow” collection! Also I am working on a dress for

a charity that is raising money for the kids in Haiti.

LGM: What would you say to girls wanting to break into the fashion industry?

CC: This is a huge world! There is lots of room for everyone in the fashion

industry so go for it!

LGM: Any final words of advice to girls your age?

CC: I would like to say to girls my age is “Follow your dreams. Just because you

are young, does not mean that you can’t be successful at something. If you

love something, keep doing it . Don’t give up on your dreams!!”

You can view Cecilia’s creations on her website at www.ceciliacassini.com and if you are lucky enough to live near Sherman Oaks, CA you can pick up your own piece of her collection at Tough Cookie Boutique!