Hold on to your butts, everyone! Our second Indie Designer Spotlight is on Yana of Supayana!
Name: Yana Gorbulsky
Age: 24
Hometown: I was born in Moscow, but grew up in NY
Current Location: Montreal, Canada
How did your interest in fashion begin? I started sewing things for dolls when I was a little girl.
What motivated you to start selling your designs, and what were your expectations when you started? I started selling my clothing when I was in college, studying Speech Pathology. I needed money to pay for textbooks, and I was always getting compliments on my clothing, so I decided to make some money off of it. I didn’t really have any expectations at first, I thought I was going to become a Speech Pathologist, but towardsthe end of college, I was making enough to support myself so I decided to stick with fashion instead.
Do you have any formal training in fashion, art or design? No, but it’s probably genetic. My grandfather was a painter in Russia. My mother painted and designed scarves in Russia. My sister paints and is a scenic artist (she designs sets for shows like 30 Rock). 
Is Supayana your primary job? I’m a full-time student now, so I have been working on Supayana a lot less recently.
How many people are behind the scenes at Supayana? Just me for now. When I was in New York, I hired people to sew for me from time to time.
What are some of the best and worst aspects of being an independent designer? The best is that you are your own boss, the worst is that it is a very unstable job. Some months you make money, other months you can barely pay rent.
Where do you get inspiration for your designs? All over the place. The internet, my friends, walking around the city, reading magazines, watching movies.
How would you describe your designs? I think they are becoming more mature now, as my clothing is always a direct reflection of what I am going through. They used to be very pink, frilly, and girly…but now they are becoming more sleek and modern.
Any advice for aspiring designers? Don’t give up!
Do you have any interesting hobbies (outside of sewing/designing)? Right now I’m really concentrating on learning French.
Want more?
Check out Yana’s designs on Ebay – Supayana
or on her website – Supayana.com