Courtesy A. Lynn Designs
After a decade of working in fashion, Andrea Seemayer, 32, considers herself a fit expert, skilled in the art of pattern making and in knowing how to build clothes that look great on the body. Currently the director of product for Zac Posen, Seemayer is bringing her expertise to A. Lynn Designs, a collection of everyday luxury basics made to feel like a second skin. The St. Louis-native returns to the city where it all started on Thursday, April 11, for a pop up shop at Blush Boutique (159 W. Argonne) from 5-9 p.m. Here, she talks about her career in fashion and the benefits of healthy competition.
Tell us a bit about your background? I was born and raised in Fenton. I went to St. Paul’s and Nerinx Hall in Webster Groves. Dance was a big part of my life. In high school I designed dance costumes. I studied fashion design at Stephens College in Columbia. I spent my whole life in the St. Louis area but my heart was set on living in New York City. In college, I interned at Nautical, Yigal Azrouel, Siki, and Zac Posen. It’s funny that years later I would work for Zac.
What about growing up in St. Louis prepared you for a career in fashion? The community I was brought up in was so important to me. I’m still friends with the girls I went to Nerinx with, and even a few of my grade school friends from St. Paul’s. At Nerinx it was all about women’s empowerment. Not matter what you wanted to do the message was to be independent. Go after your dreams. I heard that over and over again in the dance studio, too. A big part of my success is having been a part of groups that supported each other. I used to dance 40 hours a week [in high school]. We were really close and competitive. But the competition was about how we could help each other achieve our goals. My motto is ‘team work makes the dream work.’
How did you get your start in fashion design? I moved to New York after college and crashed on a friend’s couch while I figured out how to start a life here. I probably went on 50 interviews and sent out 100 resumes. My first job was as a creative designer for Urban Stitching [a private label manufacturer.] I designed ready-to-wear for Victoria’s Secret, the Kohl’s and Macy’s brands, Rocket Republic Denim. I became more involved in fittings and feel very strongly about fit… that you can buy a garment and trust the fit. Then, I went to work at Alice and Olivia as a technical designer. A creative designer sketches the garment and the technical designer creates a blueprint for how to build it. When a garment comes in, we’re doing the cutting and the pining. The creative designer sketches it and we bring it to life. At Rebecca Taylor I worked in product development: sourcing fabrics, deciding which factory would make the garments. In the development stage, we’re putting the moving parts together.
What are you doing now? I’m at Zac Posen as the director of product development and production. I oversee the technical designers and the development and production teams. I oversee fabric selection, the factories, cost, sizing, import and export. You do the less fun stuff but I oversee a team and I like to develop people to be their best. I find it so rewarding to help people achieve their goals.
What made you decide to launch your own label? I started conceptualizing in 2016, working with a factory based in Hong Kong to simplify what I wanted to do and figuring out how to achieve it. The idea came after years of experience as a fit expert in the fashion industry. I found a serious pain point in the fit limitations of women's body proportions. The industry size scale only changes the length of a garment two inches from a size zero to 16. I experienced this fit challenge in my own life, as I'm 5-feet-tall and had no options for short lengths without getting into petite sizes. We’ve gotten customers accustomed to altering their own stuff. It’s normal. I call it the “make-it-work” industry. If the garment is long, we buy a higher heel. If it’s jeans, we may cuff them, and no one ever questions it. Men’s suiting has more options. Women have more difficulties and that’s where this idea comes from. I want to provide more fit options for individuals, giving comfort and confidence all day long.
A. Lynn Designs is about investing in the basics. Yes, the essentials. We put a lot of TLC into our specialty pieces but we don’t wear those every day. Invest in a piece of clothing that is closest to your skin, that feels the best, and is engineered to be the best. We use sustainable fibers that create the softest feel.
What are your plans for the business? The pop up in St. Louis is the soft launch. In July, we’ll throw a launch party in New York and we’ll follow up with a national tour of pop ups. 2019 is about building and growing the brand.
How do you make it all happen, both your work at Zac Posen and with the new collection? I work 24/7. I don’t have kids. I work before I go into Zac, in the evenings, and on the weekends. I wake up in the mornings and love my work. I’m usually pretty excited!
