Where do you live and what is your craft/profession?
My name is Rachel Flemister and I live in Waimanalo, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. I own a small label where I design and create non-traditional/modern wedding gowns and separates called: de la Rosa Hawaii.
When did you decide you wanted to be a designer- what led you to that profession and passion?
I think I knew I wanted to be a designer from a really young age, I just really didn’t know it was something I could actually do, coming from the small town where I grew up. I was always making my own clothes as a teenager and making things for my friends and I really just loved creating things. Then I decided to go to fashion school after high school. After college, I worked as a designer for a few companies in the LA fashion industry for quite a few years. On the side, I had made some wedding gowns for my friends and really just loved the whole process of it all. It was like “getting back to my roots,” if you will haha. That, and I loved creating something from start to finish from something in my brain. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing someone wearing something you created, even more so on one of the most important days in their life.
But it was never something I really saw myself doing like I am now. In 2016, after quitting my job and traveling around the world with my husband for a year, then we decided to move to Oahu, where he is from. There weren’t really many options for designing for a large company here like there are on the Mainland, so I decided that I would try and start something from my passion and just see what happens. Lucky for me, the people of Hawaii really love supporting local designers and everyone here has really just been so interested in what I’m doing, let alone the community on the internet which has been a huge part of my growing business as well.
It's a little unreal and feels so special to be trusted to create such an important gown in someone’s life.
What or who has grown you into the woman you are today?
I think I got to where I am today from taking some risks, with both my career and my life. Being a mom now is the newest challenge and while you only want to keep your child away from “risks” haha, I hope to raise her into a woman that is brave and takes a chance now and then.
As a designer how do you stay inspired?
I feel happiest when I’m challenged, creative, but also have time to recharge. I think I’m most inspired these days when I have a good work-life balance. That seems to be the most important thing to me these days being a new mom. Recharging with weekends off at the beach or when I’m traveling, I definitely feel the very most inspired.
When not designing/creating, where can we find ya! How do you refuel?
When I’m not in the studio, you’ll definitely find me at the beach, hopefully eating some really good food, while chasing my daughter around the sand in Waimanalo or on the North Shore.
