Today we’d like to introduce you to Julianna Bass.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My husband and I moved to Nashville in the summer of 2022. I lived in NYC for 19 years prior to the move with a 2-year stint in Berlin. I lived in Germany from 2014-2016 and began my eponymous brand in my atelier in Kreuzberg, Berlin before bringing it back to NYC.
My first US studio was in Soho. I also attended MTSU for undergrad before continuing my fashion education at The Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. We returned to TN because we realized that we can work from anywhere in a post-pandemic client and thought it might be nice to have a yard and be closer to the fam I still have design clients in NYC and travel back and forth every month.
Julianna Bass is an award-winning fashion designer committed to elevating the consumer experience through innovation and proactive design initiatives. She specializes in creative direction, design development, and brand strategy with a demonstrated history of creating successful fashion collections from concept inception to execution. With over fifteen years of experience in fashion, textiles, lifestyle, and home, Julianna strives to evoke beauty and emotion by pushing creative boundaries that support brand vision while simultaneously enriching the lives of consumers.
Bass is a Tennessee native who moved to New York to attend The Fashion Institute of Technology. There she was named Designer of the Year and went on to develop her skills while working with luxury brands such as Bill Blass, Elie Tahari, Eugenia Kim, and Marc Jacobs before founding her own eponymous brand during her time spent in Berlin. The brand has been featured in numerous prominent U.S. and international publications including Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, New York Magazine, Harper‘s Bazaar, Elle, Glamour, L‘officiel, and more. Bass was a Gen Art Styles Inductee, and The Fashion Group International named her A Rising Star for Womenswear in 2019. Vogue stated, “Bass’ designs speak to the woman who isn’t afraid to embrace classic style on her own terms”.
Bass has executed several successful design collaborations with an array of fine artists, textile engineers, and national retail stores. She is also working to bridge the gap between fashion and technology through her latest development: a textile integration that will lead us into a new paradigm toward a future where our clothing works for us.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Ha! Fashion, smooth? Anyone that tells you that is lying! Fashion is a challenging business. People assume that it’s all glitz and glamour and runways, but that’s just a tiny fraction of the beast. Ha! I’ve never known another path. I wanted to be a designer since I was 17 years old, and I pursued it with gusto, so sure…absolutely there have been struggles. I came into the workforce in the early aughts and there was no talk about mental health or burnout. The ladder was in front of you, and you climbed it or you got out of the way. Society has grown so much since then, and there have been monumental changes in the industry. But, there were and still are barriers and politics, and gatekeepers on every corner. And, I am a pretty straightforward person.
I’m bad at games, so being thrown into the game and realizing I didn’t really know how to play politics was a struggle. I learned, but in hindsight that was hard. Additionally, I’d say the most difficult would have been the moment I realized that my dream had come true, but that it was now a “job”. I was the founder and CEO of my own brand. Shown on NYFW runways, and featured in all the major fashion publications and celebrity red carpets each season, but there was barely any time left for me to create. I was juggling fundraising, investor meetings, hiring, firing, and all the other fun things that come with startup life. I most definitely enjoyed learning new things that I would carry with me into the future, but executing and managing a fast-paced studio was forcing me to manufacture my creativity, and that was hard. Finding a balance took a while, but that knowledge ultimately lead me to my consultancy, so it was well worth it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a luxury fashion designer specializing in creative direction, design development, and brand strategy with a demonstrated history of creating successful fashion collections from concept inception to execution. With over fifteen years of experience in fashion, textiles, lifestyle, and home, I strive to evoke beauty and emotion by pushing creative boundaries that support brand vision while simultaneously enriching the lives of consumers.
I guess from an industry perspective I would be known for the use of illusion mesh cutouts…and my accent. After living my entire adult life outside of the south, I’ve somehow still retained it. Ha!
I’ve always thought that my relatability and unassuming nature set me apart from some of my peers. I’m also approachable and down to earth.
From a position of self-love, I’d say I’m likely most proud of my ability to pivot creatively and stay alive in this fast-paced industry. From my ego, I’m most proud of the fact that Adam Driver once told his wife that he’d love it if she only wore Julianna Bass on international red carpets.
What do you think about happiness?
This question almost made me cry. Thanks for asking.
I think we often think more about what makes us unhappy, so this is a nice exercise. I was going to try and be poetic about it, but I feel the listing format works. Downtime with my husband, “great ideas”, creative enthusiasm, comfy sheets, exploring, showing others what is possible, my family and friends, a good water bottle, morning coffee, Pantone books, cult podcasts, and the list goes on…..
Contact Info:
- Website: www.juliannabass.com ; www.woosterdesigncollective.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliannabass/?hl=en ; https://www.instagram.com/julianna_irl/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannabass/
Image Credits
Ryan Michael Kelly and Getty Images
