Hi, I’m Ruby.

I have over a decade of professional experience as a patternmaker, designer, and sewist. 

I started Slow Fashion Academy (formerly Spokes & Stitches) in 2023. After years of piecing together freelance work in the fashion industry, I realized that what I loved to do most of all was share my love of sewing and designing through teaching.

As someone with petite-plus proportions, I am acutely aware of the limitations of standard sizing, and committed to designing for the wide variety of body shapes and sizes that exist in the world. 

I hold a BFA in fashion design from Pratt Institute, and a Master’s in Education from Widener University. I am a passionate educator and split my time between running my own business and teaching part-time in the fashion design program at Jefferson University.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked on projects that have appeared on SNL, at the New York City Toy Fair, on the red carpet of the Academy Awards, on the stages of The Met Opera, American Ballet Theater, various Off-Broadway productions, cruise lines, and at world-class theme parks around the world. I’ve also made costumes for music videos, drag performers, and puppets, as well as numerous items in my own wardrobe. 

I believe that everyone can benefit from learning how to sew, and that sewing one’s own clothing and developing a strong sense of personal style can be a healing act of reclamation and self-love.