Designing Confidence: Meet Tony Shei

What first drew you to fashion design, and when did you realize this was something you wanted to pursue seriously?

At some point during my graphic design studies in Florida, something clicked. Design does not have to live behind a screen. It should break boundaries, be worn, and carry a personality. It started with observation, watching people move through the world in what they wore, and watching fashion runway shows that opened my eyes to what design could truly be. Every model that walked out showed me that everything you design has a story to tell. The color, the fabric, the structure, the way it drapes on a body. That is when fashion became more than clothing to me. It became a way of translating what I see into something another person could feel.

How would you describe your design aesthetic, and what inspires the pieces you create?
My aesthetic is contemporary yet expressive. I am drawn to silhouettes, prints, and color that say something before the person wearing it even speaks. When someone walks into a room and their outfit just makes sense with who they are, that is what I am designing toward. Whether it is a print, a drape, or a color that reflects nature, every choice is deliberate. I want what I create to feel like a natural extension of the woman wearing it.

What does your creative process look like, from initial idea to finished garment?


My process starts with photographing nature. I use each photo to sketch, build a moodboard, and establish a color palette. Before I draft each piece and create prints, I decide which medium to use. Paint translates to irregularity and hand embroidery translates to precise structure. Each medium communicates differently, and I find that similar to nature itself. Nature is never perfectly aligned, and that is where beauty lives. I bring that same thinking into every garment I create.

How do you balance creating pieces that feel both innovative and wearable for your audience?


It goes back to my graphic design background. Every final piece starts with a sketch, a color palette, and a moodboard. From there, each print is placed compositionally on the garment. After multiple revisions, the balance between innovative and wearable works itself out. Boundaries are pushed with color, fabric, and print, but always toward something cohesive that feels like it belongs together.

What do you want people to feel when they experience or wear your designs?

My audience should feel like they are wearing a piece of art. Not art that sits still on a wall, but art that moves with them and belongs to them. There is a moment before walking out the door, when they look at themselves and something shifts. That is the moment I design for. A feeling of being expressive and sophisticated, where the confidence they carry is not something the garment is giving them. It is something the garment is confirming. They already had it. The piece just makes it visible.