Fashion Designer Spotlite: Milk+Honey

Your legal full name: Lynnette Franklin
Your “artist name”: shiroi_yukiko, Milk+Honey
Your Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Milk-Honey/305839739789

How did you get involved in Asian Ball Jointed Doll clothing Designs?
I got my first dolls at the end of 2005 with the intention of making clothing for them and also selling. I was already making people sized clothing/costumes, so to me it was really natural that I would make clothes for the dolls too.

Describe your line and what styles you create?
For the most part I do mainly “ready-to-wear” everyday styles, like skinny jeans, printed t-shirts, hoodies and jackets and occasionally a more complicated one-off piece. It’s casual, but with a punk/indie influence. I do a lot of prints which I block print or stencil by hand.

What do you think people know you best for (like a certain style or size or certain look)?
Pants. Tight ones! When I made the first pair it was an accident, but it was a very lucky one! I actually had the gall to think they might not sell. But that was 5 years ago and I haven’t looked back since. I also never intended to make many pants in the first place, because I hate making human size ones. Doll pants I can’t get enough of though.

What Inspires You?
I get inspiration everywhere, but most often I’ll see a fabric or trim and just get an idea for what I want to make with it. I spend a lot of time digging through my personal fabric collection and trying not to spend too much at the stores.

What do you want people to think when they look at your Designs?
Hopefully they will see something they think is cool and well-made!

What do you hope to accomplish in the next 5 years?
I’d like to further expand all my sewing related business, ABJD clothing among it. Especially in the area of custom/commission work, I’d like to be more consistent and get to take orders more often. In my dreams, I’ll be able to do it full time!

What sorts of things do you enjoy the most about your designs?
That they make other people as happy as they make me. Sometimes it’s very hard for me to sell everything that I make, because I want to keep it all!

What are your other favorite clothing brands/designers for dolls?
I don’t buy many clothes for my dolls, but I really like Nine9 Style, Sadol, TATA, ANGEL.CANDY-ROCK by Yoake and *SODA*.

What’s the Best thing about designing and selling doll fashions?
I get to see my clothing on all sorts of beautiful dolls! I love owner pictures.

What’s the most difficult thing about designing and selling fashions?
Always coming up with new things. I get bored if I make the same thing over and over, so I’m always trying to come up with new ideas or re-visit and improve old ideas. Most of the things I make use the same few patterns; I just modify them slightly once in a while.

What type of dolls do you enjoy designing for the most (male/female/brands)?
Definitely male, in the 60cm range. 99% of the clothing I make fits that description.

What is your favorite style to create?
I could make skinny jeans every day and be happy.

Is there a color palate or patterns that you tend to stick with? Stay away from?
I work mostly with neutrals lately (grey, black and off-white, my favorites), but then I’ll throw in some random teal or purple and I love plaids/stripes. Sometimes I really want to use a bright color or a print and sometimes it’s a crazy one, but I don’t stop myself. There’s really nothing I feel like I should stay away from!

Who would you love to collaborate with? Is there a mold, doll, or company that you prefer to work on?
I never thought about collaboration, outside of the projects I do with my close friends, but it would be fun! And I definitely have my preferences for models! My favorite body to model my clothing is the Dream of Doll DoT boy body. It’s 64 cm, so it’s a bit taller, but is the same approx. size as an SD13 or Luts Delf. I have two bodies from 2005-ish and they both pose amazingly! I also like the Luts Delf body, because it has nice shapely legs, which are good for skinny pants.

What is your background? Have you had any special schooling (art school, fashion design, sculpture, painting, fashion, etc)?
I went to college for fashion design, but even before that I was sewing clothing. My whole family is really crafty and creative, so sewing has always been a part of my life.

Who are some of your favorite human designers?
Betsey Johnson, Vivienne Westwood, H.Naoto, also recently I’m really in love with a UK brand called Ringspun

Are there types of fabric that you hate or try to avoid? If so which ones?
I hate corduroy! Somehow I always have a problem with it…

What fabrics do you love to use? Accessories?
I love knit jersey and vinyl. Anything that stretches really.

What outfit do you think was your best and worst? Why?
The best in my opinion isn’t even the most crazy or complicated! I made a red plaid suit jacket and pants over a cool t-shirt with a skull that I still think about sometimes. I really liked the style a lot. It definitely represented Milk+Honey perfectly. And it was the best men’s blazer I’ve made.

The worst outfits are the ones that no one sees except me! Sometimes I’ll make something and by the time it is complete, I’m wondering what I was thinking. Sometimes a design just doesn’t play out in 3D as well as it did in my head or a sketch. I have a graveyard of half-made items.

Any tips for the beginner doll fashion maker?
Just keep working at it! Sometimes it takes a while to make a quality piece, but practice really does make perfect. It might take a while to sell that piece too, but eventually the right person always finds it!

When you were a child did you ever work on dolls or create with similar things? If so, what were they?
I tried to make clothes for my stuffed animals sometimes, usually with limited success and my mother’s help. I was definitely more interested in crafts though and didn’t like dolls at all.

Do you have any other interests that might have helped you in your development of customizing ABJD (like customizing other dolls, action figures, etc)? Please tell us about them.
I hadn’t worked with any other dolls or figures before I started making ABJD clothing.

Do you have any other interests? Collections?
All my interests seem to revolve around sewing… I also make costumes (cosplay and otherwise) and sew crafts (pillows, coin purses, cute things).

Interview continues later… tune back in!