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mihsislander.org
The “Baby Designer” Annie Poole staff writer
Self-taught designer Grayce Millard, a senior at Mercer Island High School, uses fashion as a creative outlet and form of self-empowerment. Millard started her new clothing brand Baby Designer in the summer of 2017 to design for powerful, self-aware people of any gender. Millard received the sewing machine from her mom this summer, and began to design her own clothes. She has always taken an interest in fashion, but struggled with the logistics of starting her own business. “I’ve been inspired [by] a lot of other young women starting to use social media as a platform to make clothes and sell fashion. I thought why can’t I do that?” said Millard. The name Baby Designer came after Millard watched the movie “Baby Driver.” “I just thought it was kind of cute. I was really inspired by it,” said Millard. Baby Designer, a fitting name for Millard due to her recent venture into the fashion world, allows her to stand out from older designers because she easily relates to the younger generation. Her recent designs have been influenced by Japanese anime and other aspects of Asian culture. Although her designs emphasize femininity, Millard likes to include edgier aspects into her clothing line, which fits with her personal style. “There’s just so many different things you can do with fashion, and it’s such a good way to self-express,” Millard said. She does not limit herself to one style or silhouette in her designs, and continues to explore the multitudes of possibilities for her creations. “The feel of fabric is everything,” Millard said. Fabric is an essential part of the design process because it brings color, texture, and movement to her creations. Millard likes to mainly work with silk and leather, even though they are hard materials to work with. Silk is lightweight, causing the fabric to Photo by Annie Poole slip during the cutting stage, making it hard to look professional. SewA compilation created by staff writer Annie Poole, featuring different fabrics, sketches, and Millard posin in a Baby Designer set-piece. ing with leather usually requires special tools and every stitch leaves permanent holes, making the fitting stage crucial. With these fabrics, the process proves to be challenging, but the results embody the brand. Millard’s designs also reflect her self-described chic and edgy personal style. Her favorite items to wear are trench coats and Nike sneakers. Millard likes to see how people portray themselves through fashion and personal style. “I understand that [fashion is] limited, you have to be able to afford clothes, but at the same time you can still be fashionable on a budget,” said Millard. Millard attempts to produce pieces for around $40, but certain one of a kind pieces may be more expensive. “Buying materials is expensive and sewing is time consuming, so the profit has to be worth it,” Millard said. As she figures out how to make the production process more efficient, prices will eventually drop. Millard tries to be as creative as she can with her clothing line, knowing that it will change and develop in the future. “I want to study fashion and business in college so I can pull it all together,” said Millard. This will allow her to learn both sides of the fashion industry and help her business evolve creatively and practically. She has promoted her brand through photo campaigns on social media and word of mouth. You can contact her for custom pieces and look for more pictures of her designs under the username @babydesigner_ on Instagram and Twitter.
“9 to 5” blends satire with song Anna Swartz staff writer
The upcoming school musical “9 to 5” centers around three women secretaries who decide to wreak havoc on their sexist boss by kidnapping him and running the business themselves. This office satire explores women empowerment and the upheaval of traditional gender roles in a genuinely entertaining way. Director Daniela Melgar creates a safe space for students to tackle the challenging and mature content found in “9 to 5”. “The friendly environment allows me to grow and flourished as artist,” says freshman Katharine Gregory. Drama is widely known among students studying theatre at Mercer Island High School as a place to express your creativity in a safe environment. “I feel like you can come into this space and be who you want to be without judgement and without
question,” said Melgar. “That’s one of my favorite parts of drama: the ensemble and the sense of community.” Not only does being part of this ensemble help students find their voice, it is a place where close friendships form. “[The cast is] a mix of Drama Two, which is a tighter ensemble built class, and kids from everywhere in the school,” said cast member Sophie Kelly Hedrick. Although the atmosphere in the rehearsals may be easy going, everyone dedicates themselves to their roles. During musical rehearsals, students scribbled notes on their sheet music and recorded their harmonies on their phones for the extensive ensemble numbers found in “9 to 5”. “Everyone, especially the leads, will go home and spend hours memorizing music and building their characters,” said cast-member Jack Swartz.
“Everyone is there because they want to be there. We all work together to create the best production we can.” Participating in the musical is a rewarding experience for the students and for the audience members. The message of this show is one Melgar is eager to share with the rest of the school. “At this time, when there’s turmoil over all the different ways that we speak about people and treat people, it seems like the right show to do,” said Melgar. The upcoming school musical, featuring hard-working and talented students, presents serious topics in an entertaining way. This is what will make this fall musical a must-see. The show opens Thursday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Additional dates and showtimes: November 10 at 7 p.m., November 11 at 7 p.m., November 16 at 7 p.m., November 17 at 7 p.m., and November 18 at 7 p.m.
Photo by Sophie Poole
Cast-members of “9 to 5” at a dance rehearsal in the Performing Arts Center
Sophie Feldman (cont.)
“I’ve been exposed to so many artists and genres. I’ve been able to build my sound based on bits and pieces that make sense in my head. I have written a lot based on my five favorite books: ‘Looking for Alaska,’ ‘Catcher in the Rye,’ ‘The Great Gatsby,’ ‘The Little Prince,’ and ‘Americanah.’ Sometimes when life is boring I write songs based off book characters,”
said Feldman. In the future, Feldman hopes to use her talent for songwriting to develop her reputation in the industry. “I am hoping to get my foot in the door by writing and selling songs. If that goes well, I’ll have a foundation to build off,” said Feldman. Outside of playing music, Feldman teaches guitar, piano, and ukulele to ele-
mentary schoolers, alongside her regular babysitting jobs. She also loves learning about psychology and how music can affect children on the autism spectrum, which she plans to study in the future. You can find Feldman and her music on Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud. Contact mihisislander@ gmail.com to be the next guest in the Live Music Lab.