Meet Sabrina O’Donnell who owns and operates Sabrina Butterfly Designs as well as her own fabulous boutique in the Highlands! You are guaranteed to find a stylish new spring outfit at her booth at Make It Edmonton, and maybe something special for mom too!

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My love to design clothing!! Sabrina Butterfly came about the Summer of 2008, a year after I got my fashion design diploma. My friend Marissa and I decided we wanted to try selling at a couple of Folk Festivals. So we took our lines on the road, with a VW bus, and had a booth at the North Country Fair and Jasper Folk Festival. We also sold out of the VW vain a parking lot, during the Canmore Folk Festival that summer.

Did you always know you wanted to be a fashion designer?
Yes! I had a creative family who was very inspiring. When I first discovered sewing in Jr. High, I knew it was something that would come easy. By High School I was hooked and was dreaming about going to fashion design school… and so I did.

What is it like owing your own boutique? Is it what you expected?
Owning my own boutique has definitely had it’s ups and downs. I am a very “go with the flow” kind of person. So I definitely didn’t do a lot of planning about what it was going to be like when I opened my own store. In June 2007, at the Highlands Street Festival, I had mentioned to one of the merchants, that if they ever hear of a space in Highlands that becomes available, to let me know. 3 months later I opened a store!! Lesson learned: be careful what you ask for!!
The store has blossomed into a beautiful space I can call home for my clothing line and many other designers I carry. Its a sweet little space which has definitely made it easy to handle. I have been blessed with great staff over the years and we have had some of the best customers support us. We opened the store with no policy’s but have had to develop some to stand our ground as a little train that could. But other then that, it really has been a great experience. The boutique is like an on going craft show, which makes it a whole lot of F-U-N!!!

Follow your heart. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Try out different venues to showcase your work (stores, markets, craft shows, festivals). Stay open to new ideas. Listen to your customers, if they like a certain design, REPEAT and stick with it… this could be your bread and butter. Patience. Baby steps are O.K.

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Do you think Edmontonians are more conscious now with their buying choices than when you first started?
Most Definitely!! Shop Local has really been embedded into a lot of Edmontonians minds. Customers get it, and know prices need to be reflected in handmade goods. Also when I first started there was only a few craft shows that you could get involved in, now there is one every other weekend!! So I think Edmonton is a lot more aware about the handmade movement. And many are wanting to support designers and makers who are doing this for a living.

The community of designers and artists that support this event and the crowds of customers who are all there for one thing: to discover some GREAT handmade goodies!!

@aCageyBee