Frustrated by Bermuda’s lack of fashion variety, Desiree Riley took matters into her own hands.

She created her own fashion line, Dezir Designs, only a few months after learning to sew.

“After high school I noticed how difficult it was to find fashions that I liked,” said the 24-year-old.

“I have always loved fashion and putting clothes together.

“I did some modelling, and won the Face of Bermuda competition in 2011.”

She had lots of fashion sketches, the only problem was she couldn’t sew a stitch.

She remedied that with courses at the Bermuda College.

Later, a disaster led her to her fashion design mentor Gina Flood, owner of All Things Sassy Pet Boutique.

“I was preparing some clothes for a photoshoot, and the sewing machine broke as I was fixing the hem,” she said.

A friend suggested Ms Flood might be able to help her.

Ms Flood was so impressed by her work, she offered her work space in the boutique.

“She’s really helped me,” said Miss Riley. “She’s been a blessing. I’d taken classes but there were still a lot of things I really couldn’t sew yet.”

She recalled one disastrous attempt to line a stretchy top.

“When I got through with the lining and turned it the right way out, the stretchy material had completely shrunk. I was like ‘oh, my God’. She showed me the proper way to do that.

“Now, I think I am going to line everything, because it makes the garment more durable and look neater.”

She has a steady stream of clients coming into All Things Sassy to commission dresses and other outfits.

“It’s mainly been through word of mouth,” she said. “I have about thirty clients.”

One client even asked her to make a wedding dress.

“I’ve never done that before, so I will have to study up on that carefully,” she said.

Her work is already turning heads. In May, her first collection was featured in local designer Amethyst’s fashion show Silence.

After creations from her African-themed collection hit Facebook, she was asked to participate in an Atlanta, Georgia fashion showcase next summer.

“The details of that are still being finalised,” said Miss Riley. “I’m really excited about that.”

She described her style as “all over the place”.

“One minute I could be very preppy, the next I could be classy,” she said.

“I like the Bohemian, free cool look. My style varies depending on my mood.”

She sometimes struggles to find a pattern for her tall, lanky build.

“So I have to create a lot of my own patterns,” she said. “That is what takes up time. It’s challenging. I don’t like pattern-making.”

Miss Riley has been selling on a commission basis, but several stores have expressed interest in buying her work.

“I may step back from the commissions to work on that for a bit,” she said. Her demographic is mainly women in their teens and early thirties, and her price range is $60 and up.

“It depends on what you want done,” she said.

She credits her mother, Elizabeth Riley, with her fashion obsession.

“I have three younger sisters,” said Miss Riley. “We were never allowed out of the house without looking nice and presentable.

“Everything had to co-ordinate. We couldn’t have a hair out of place. Apparently, my mother also liked fashion when she was younger. I get it from her.”

Her fashions have frequently been used by models in fashion shoots. Miss Riley styles some of these shoots herself.

“I love posing models,” she said. “I get right into it. It’s good for my fashion design career because when photographers hear I also sew, they say ‘oh, you’re the complete package’.”

She recently did styling for Bermudian singer Sia Spence’s upcoming album.

“I used to think that I loved being in front of the camera,” said Miss Riley. “Now, I think I love more seeing my work in front of the camera.”

But she says, she still does a little modelling, here and there.

“My dream is to one day have my own store to sell my work,” she said. “I’d also like to go abroad to study. I’m interested in the business side of things. I want to know how best to market my work.”

For more information see her on Facebook under Desiree Riley, or on Instagram under Dezir­_Designs or call 704-1021.