Have you seen this dress? Well I have, and it is awesome. Those are meridians and acupuncture points on the dress if it isn't immediately obvious. : ) I was instantly intrigued and suspected the designer was a lover of Chinese medicine. I am very happy to announce that her Chinese medicine inspired designs will now be featured in the Chinese Medicine Living store. The designers name is Holly Renee, and her company is called Shenova Fashion and I would like to warmly welcome her.

To learn a bit more about what inspires her and how this and her other fashions came about I sat down and asked her a few questions...

How did you get the idea for this dress?

The idea for this dress came from looking at the ancient point location maps in my TCM textbooks. I thought it would be really interesting to position it on the body in such a way that would be as anatomically proportional as possible. I like the idea of making clothes that are not only fashionable but educational as well. I wanted to do a spin on a classic little black dress and make it special.

What is your experience with TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine)?

My first experience with TCM was in Hong Kong in 2005 when I saw an herbalist and he seemed to know everything about me even though I told him nothing! I was utterly amazed and intrigued. When I went back to the states I bought all the books I could get my hands on and started studying on my own and looking into schooling. I ended up attending the Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College in Berkeley. I spent about three years there and enjoyed the intense challenge, but eventually my heart tugged at me to follow my childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer. I think perhaps what happened was that after years of tonic herbs and treatments my inner self really was able to come alive, like peeling layers off an onion, and my true core emerged. I finally felt I had the energy to "go for it"!

How did you get into fashion design?

I have always been a very visual person. I began designing my own clothes at age 13 for concerts and events then even had my first fashion show at age 15. I had an intense passion for it ever since then.

Shenova started out of my own search for something to wear that I liked. I felt frustrated with the choices in locally made or eco-fashions, nothing I saw was edgy enough! Also, there was a serious lack of interesting "smart" prints. I wanted something different. I wanted prints that meant something, had a sense of spirit, and told a story.  I've always been a huge fan of digitally print fabrics because they can be a canvas. Since I had a background in design I started "photowhizzing" with my designs and found an amazing local printer here in SF that does incredible photo quality work. I enjoy playing with the surface design of how patterns look on the body, almost like projections.