Meet Sabrina Andrews

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sabrina Andrews. 

Hi Sabrina, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My attempts at design started with colored pencil sketches inspired by whatever I had seen on The Style channel as a 10-year-old. I continued to chase fashion with subscriptions to magazines and doing a social studies report on Italian designers in 8th grade. And finally began constructing wearable pieces when I was 12 or 13 thanks to an article about knitting, two pencils, and some crappy purple yarn. 

Fast-forward to “adulthood” and now I have developed confidence in my knitting skills and thanks to unemployment in 2020 I’ve added sewing to support my love of tangible creativity. I’ve grown from simple scarves and masks to creating sweaters, entire family sets of knits, and coats my friends love to wear. And that’s what I think keeps me chasing my interest in fashion – the excitement others get from seeing and sharing in what I create. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One may be considered a master of their craft, but they are never the master over the craft; there’s always room for learning and improvement. I’m a perfectionist, so when projects don’t turn out just right, I’m disappointed. Learning to knit and sew has stretched my commitment to “practice makes perfect” as well as pushed me to share even when I’m uncomfortable. 

Thanks to social media and a close group of friends, I’ve gained confidence in showing what I’ve created and felt encouraged to keep designing and trying new techniques. Until recently, I’ve sold only two or three pieces, but I’m beginning to see the value of my work and am excited to start making more available for sale. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My day-to-day is spent as a Business Manager for a neurophysiological monitoring company. It suits me well because it calls on a variety of skills and knowledge to support my team and our patients. 

There are some opportunities for creativity, but similar to how yoga helps my posture after 8 hours in front of the computer, my Yankee Belle work stretches my brain in a different way so I can maintain the focus I need from 9 to 5. 

We’d love to hear about what you think about risk-taking?
As I said, sharing my designs and starting to sell them is an emotional risk. In terms of fashion, I’m unafraid of mixing textiles and patterns, in fact, that’s kind of the point of Yankee Belle. I grew up in New England and went to college in South Carolina and those two environments and cultures and sets of experiences really shaped me into the dynamic woman I am now. I want my clothing to reflect a similar juxtaposition, so creating classic silhouettes in bright prints or mixing leather with sweats is the aesthetic I intend to represent. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @yankeebelleclothing