Immigrants from all over Europe fill the streets of Brooklyn, but one is making a big name for herself in the fashion world: Yana Gorbulsky. Born in Moscow, Yana now creates her one-of-a-kind tops in the heart of New York’s most fashionable borough. Those young years of making dresses for her dolls and stuffed animals seems to be paying off as Supayana is now gaining attention from some of the most well-known indie boutiques in New York and California. A personal friend of mine, Yana took some time out of her busy sewing schedule to chat with me about what makes her creations the most unique around.

What process do you go through to create just one top?

Well, I always start with a vision in mind. Then, I see what materials I have, and I begin creating. Most designers work the opposite way I think, where they go out searching for the exact fabrics they need. I think it’s more interesting to create something from a limited selection of fabrics - it really puts your imagination to the test. Also, I hate throwing anything out, so I like to use saved bits of fabric to make something new. I have a huge collection of vintage buttons, trims, and lace…so I usually add a little bit of those things to the shirt.

Since most of my tops are one-of-a-kind, I don’t really use patterns…I just cut away free form and make adjustments along the way. The finished product usually never looks exactly like what I had in mind in the beginning, because as I’m sewing I always find ways to make it look cuter.

Where do you find the supplies that you make your designs with?

I get the majority of my fabric in the garment district in NYC. I get most of my plain cotton stretch there. I’ve acquired a lot of the fun novelty prints in many ways, though some were given to me as a gift by loyal customers, some I found while stumbling across hole-in-the-wall fabric stores in small towns, and some I’ve picked up during my travels across the US. Garage sales and flea markets have a lot of beautiful vintage fabric sometimes, too! I have a sewing machine and a serger. The sewing machine is a vintage Singer, probably from the 60’s or 70’s. It works better than any new machine!

What are some of the current trends and designs that are inspiring you at the moment?

Current trends….hmm…I think that my inspiration comes from a combination of runway fashion, street fashion, friends, etc. It’s really hard to place a finger on exactly where it comes from. Sometimes all it takes is one split second…like seeing a girl with a really interesting collar walk by me on the street…and something just goes off in my head. I’m always on the lookout for interesting ideas. Then I just put my own twist on it.

I really like the whole empire waist thing, skinny pants, and bubble skirts. I’m really glad the whole “boho” thing is losing its cool because I was never really into that. It made girls look careless and kind of dirty! Haha. I like when clothing is really feminine and figure flattering. I also don’t like clothing that’s overtly “sexy” because I think a woman is sexier when there is more of a mystery.

Does your Russian heritage inspire your designs &/or your creativity in any way?

Definitely. I don’t know if this is necessarily Russian…but maybe this comes with being an immigrant? My parents did not have a lot of money when we first came here, so growing up I never had all the cool toys that all my American friends had. My mom taught me to have a great imagination…we made Barbie furniture out of strawberry crates and dollhouses out of cereal boxes. Doll clothes [were made] from old socks and stuff like that. It was probably a million times better than all of that store bought stuff anyway. I think I really apply that mentality to my designs now; it really helped me be innovative. Growing up that way also helped me be more “economic” I guess. I always get good deals on everything…no matter what. Saving money on small things is really important in running a business. I think the reason why many small business fail is because they have too many unnecessary expenses…they do everything “by the book”. I just think I figured out a way to cut corners financially without sacrificing the quality of my work.

Does your family know about your designs? What do they think of your work?

Yes! My parents graciously sectioned off a portion of their house in Brooklyn to be my studio space, so that is really nice. They are really supportive and are always willing to help me. When I graduated high school, I had no idea what I wanted to major in (although fashion was always lingering in the back of my mind), [so] I talked to my parents about it. They said I should do something where I could make a guaranteed living. So, I majored in speech pathology, and did fashion stuff on the side. I loved speech because it made me feel like I was doing something good for other people, but I knew that if I never tried fashion, I would regret it. I got my bachelor’s in speech pathology, and at that point I was fairly successful with my eBay business, so I just
decided to pursue fashion. Yay.

[Scans can be seen here]