Meet Kim Morrow
Wow, 2023 was a wild and amazing journey into surface pattern design. Before taking Immersion, I had been working as a Covid 19 contact tracer, a job that left me completely depleted. After the pandemic ended, I began exploring other career paths. I took courses in teaching English as a second language, but when I was struggling to stay awake during the lessons, I realised it simply did not excite me.
I have always loved pattern. When I was a child, my favourite toy was Fashion Plates from the late nineteen seventies. I loved mixing and matching clothing styles and adding patterns like plaid and houndstooth to my drawings. So when I came across the opportunity to learn how to create my own repeating patterns in Illustrator, how could I possibly say no.
The only thing that worried me about joining was the cost, but Bonnie was so reassuring and answered every question I had. I have always believed that you should seek out the best teachers, no matter the subject. It was absolutely worth the investment. I have never found anyone who teaches Adobe Illustrator better, especially in a way so perfectly tailored to the textile industry.
It is hard to choose a favourite part of Immersion, but graduation was truly special. Bonnie is incredibly personable and the whole Immersion community is so supportive. Fellow students cheer each other on. Study groups meet weekly. The Love Squad and expert team answer every question in detail. Xhico even responded to me with a personal video of feedback on my collection. That level of care is why graduation felt so meaningful. I felt deeply connected to this amazing group of people who learned together, encouraged one another and built a sense of community in a virtual space. I have never experienced anything like it online.
Since Immersion, I have begun discovering my signature style. Earlier this year, I collaborated with an ice cream shop to design fabric in their brand colours for dog bandanas they plan to sell in their store. It was a fun project and taught me how to value my work. I also entered the TwoPages design contest and won second place and the People’s Choice Award, which led to my first licensing deal. I am currently taking Repertoire with Barbel Dressler, and I will be pitching to Loomwell in the next few weeks in hopes of securing a wallpaper licensing deal.
