The Becoming series started in 2019. We wanted to hear from women in different walks of life and how they were approaching creativity, career goals, and more–mostly the WHY and HOW beneath it all. It’s been amazing to conduct these interviews and get a “behind the scenes” look at so many inspirational women. You can see them all here. Now, let’s hear from Amy Voloshin.
I’m thrilled to share an interview with creative director, Amy Voloshin, the founder of Printfresh, the print-happy, cozy-focused maker of pajamas and our newest dress collaboration! I’ve been a super fan for years and own several pieces and I wanted to find out more about her since she basically developed a brand focused on JOY! I hope you love learning more about her!
Amy, what do you consider yourself? Example: Artist, designer, illustrator, maker, business person, educator, etc.?
I consider myself a designer and business person at the moment. I love designing, concepting ideas, working with color, and working on new product offerings. I love creating wearable pieces and the intersection with business.
Where did you grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what you do now?
I grew up in a rural part of Pennsylvania in a very old farmhouse located on a dirt road (my family still lives there). We had a lot of animals growing up so animals and plants are especially important to me, they definitely inspire the products that I like to come up with. My parents are industrial designers so I spent a lot of time in their design office, drawing while they worked and gaining an appreciation for art. They were very supportive of my creative interests and I was able to take art classes on my weekends. I was really lucky to have an amazing painting teacher who taught me a lot about working with color which I think informs a lot of the bright colors that I favor today.
What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?
I always wanted to be a fashion designer. I always loved fashion, design, magazines, and vintage fabrics and clothing. I worked retail through high school and hoped it would somehow lead to getting into fashion. When applying to college I thought for a bit that I needed to do something more commercial like graphic design but realized very quickly that I was much better suited for textile design.
What sparked your interest in design and sharing on the Internet?
It felt like a natural evolution to start sharing designs on Instagram. I had been working behind the scenes running a business-to-business studio supplying all the big fashion brands with print designs and vintage inspiration for 10 years. Once instagram came out we started to show little snippets of what we were working on. We couldn’t show the final pieces (because of contracts) but even just little motifs or photos piqued our audience’s interest and the Instagram account grew rapidly with followers. We didn’t have anything we could sell to our audience, and that’s when we started to wonder if we could create something of our own to share with our community. We started first with stationery and then added in pajamas, and that’s when things really took off.
What are three words to describe your style?
Feminine, colorful, comfortable.
What is your educational background and how has it shaped or changed your current career?
I went to the Rhode Island School of Design for Textiles. It was a pretty natural transition into the industry where I went from interning for a high end designer into designing for Urban Outfitters. I learned a tremendous amount from the women I worked for and even though I didn’t learn a lot of apparel design skills in school I really gained them on the job. I was really lucky to work with so many talented designers and technical designers at Urban Outfitters and learned everything I still use today (every day) from them.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration everywhere. I’m especially fueled by travel and I think it really helps to get away from my messy desk at work and mom-responsibilities to free up my mind by being in new places. When I travel I love to go to museums to see decorative art pieces, as well as observe street style and how people wear things in different parts of the world. Since we create all of our own artwork and it’s pretty stylized and specific, we don’t necessarily take direct inspiration from references but think on how we can combine different concepts into something unique to us.
How do you make social connections in the creative realm?
This year I went to the Southern C and found it was such a fantastic opportunity to meet with so many creative women. We all had a total blast and my only wish was that I could have talked to more people. Everyone was so lovely and willing to share about their businesses and journeys. It’s a really great group and I highly recommend it if you are looking to meet a lot of creatives and make some new friends!
What is your workspace like?
My workspace is a creative mess. We work out of a lovely old factory in Philadelphia that my husband and I renovated before we had kids. It was our first renovation project and I love how it turned out. Our design space is a bit crammed with samples, fabric swatches, threads, and it’s all very colorful. I always wish I could be a little more orderly with my work station but I always find myself spending my time in other ways.
Describe some habits that keep you motivated and productive. How do you climb out of a creative slump?
I’m a pretty regimented person so I’ve got a lot of habits I try to stick with to stay motivated. I get up fairly early since the kids need to make the bus, so that gives me time to workout in the morning, catch up on correspondence, and do some planning for the day. I really like the Productivity Planner for organizing myself so I don’t get distracted but rather focus on what I need to accomplish. This Time Timer really helps me when I need to push through things, I like using the pomodoro technique for work blocks. I also find that doing some planning for goals and vision for the year is really helpful on a personal level, and although it’s not aesthetically pleasing this journal is really fun to fill out. It basically acts as a bullet journal, filling it in is oddly satisfying and helps for calming the mind for the month. It’s a good reminder for making sure to take care of yourself personally and professionally.
What is a typical day like for you?
Wake up at 6am and prioritize the kids getting out of the house. Make a latte (good coffee is a must), cuddle with my dog, and do some planning or journaling, or watch something on Skillshare for a little. I’ll do a quick workout to elevate my mood, and then get ready, answer Slacks and emails for a little while I’m feeling focused and the house is quiet, and then walk to the office. Once I’m there it’s a lot of meetings with different team members to catch up on product development, fitting samples, and reviewing business needs.
What is one skill you wished you learned when you were younger?
Public speaking. I’m really shy, and introverted which is oftentimes surprising to people. I think sometimes people just assume business owners are all super comfortable in front of a crowd but it’s something I’ve always struggled with. I much prefer being in a small group or more intimate settings and love being behind the scenes. Even though I’m sure I wouldn’t have enjoyed it, I wish being more comfortable communicating in front of others is a skill I would have learned so that maybe it would be a little easier for me later in life.
Where do you envision Printfresh in 5, 10 years?
I’m excited for some new sleepwear developments and exploring where that can take us, and I’m loving seeing the dresses and apparel items get such a warm reception. It’s really fun seeing women wear our prints out of the house now and experiencing how people style and accessorize such playful patterns.
Is there anything more you would like to “become?”
Like I mentioned, being a designer and business person is what I feel I am at the moment, but later in life I would like to maybe describe myself as an artist and educator. I’d like to get back into more of a creative fine arts practice. I love fiber arts and abstract painting but find that it’s hard to fit it in with how busy I am with the growing business and parenting. I find fine arts work to be most fulfilling and productive when there can be a little more time to work through pieces and really get into the groove. And, in terms of growing and becoming an educator – I would love to find ways to teach young designers some of the skills I’ve learned along the way. Teaching fashion illustration to kids and teens would be a total dream.
You can find Amy Voloshin of Printfresh:
On her website, printfresh.com
On Instagram @printfresh
On Facebook @printfresh