Falling in love with bluegrass and traditional folk music motivated me to create designs inspired by the banjo, with its distinct sound and significant musical impact. Inspiration was drawn from the physical instrument—the antique wood, the strings, the cylindrical drum head—as well as the music it creates. My designs are also influenced by garments worn in the rural American South and the mountains of Appalachia in the late 19th to early 20th century, when the banjo first gained popularity.