Fabric and sewing is what I do.
My name is Bianca and I’m a twenty-nine year old textile designer and seamstress, interested in vintage and traditional techniques. I dream in loud, flowery prints and aspire to create beautiful couture-level garments. I have 15 years sewing experience and studied at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
After stumbling into Sailor Moon when I was twelve years old, I fell down a rabbit hole.
Anime, Japanese music, and eventually Japanese street fashion culminated in my interest in “Elegant Gothic Lolita” when I was seventeen. It was during those years that I ventured into sewing and creating garments for myself as a way to recreate the styles I loved.
I started sewing because I couldn’t find pieces that fit or were affordable for a teenager. Shortly afterwards, I decided to design textiles because I couldn’t purchase what I wanted to sew with.
From my eight year love of Lolita I found vintage.
The perfect look, the perfect piece- the ability to make “a look” happen from my own two hands is invigorating and powerful. By opening myself up to the hard work that goes into creating a garment, I have learned so much about myself and how I see the world.
Vintage on Tap was created in an effort to seek out and really explore vintage inspiration in all its forms. The more I write, the more excited I become to buy vintage pieces and turn them inside out, look them up and down, and analyze the tiny details that donโt get incorporated into clothing anymore.
When I’m not at my sewing machine or playing around on Adobe Photoshop, I’m scouring Amazon for my latest Le Creusset piece or trying to practice a yoga pose (right now, its Crow Pose.)
This blog is a product of love and lots of hours behind a sewing machine.
Some of my favorite posts include my first video project, the skirt I made from a Japanese pattern, and the list of tips I wrote up for shopping in the LA garment district! I also write about my thoughts on sewing and why its so important.
I can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest as @vintageontap. You can also contact me through e-mail at bianca@vintageontap.com or by filling out the Contact Form. I look forward to hearing from you!