My name is Carlee Stephens and I am originally from Pensacola, FL. With the support of my family and friends, I found my voice through art and design. I began drawing and painting when I was very young and this grew into a profound appreciation for art, architecture, and fashion. I moved to Athens, GA to attend the University of Georgia after high school where I knew I wanted to study fashion. With a wide variety of interests that fueled my inspiration, I studied landscape architecture, culture, art, and other design disciplines to broaden my perspective.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Science, majoring in Fashion Merchandising and specializing in Product Development and Design, I went on to New York City to work for KZ_K design studio where I fell in love with their design driven process, where precise design details result from concept-focused technical decisions and trained expertise with variable garments.

This experience was a pivotal moment for my education, as I returned to pursue a Master of Science in Textiles, Merchandising, and Interiors at the University of Georgia. I gained extensive knowledge on the process, evolution, and development of collections and began researching the design process for my masters thesis. This led to groundbreaking sustainability research, implementing the Cradle-to-Cradle Apparel Design model using eco-design and minimalism.