Parsons student Lily Sisson is building more than a clothing brand

Lily Sisson (she/her), a Parsons School of Design second-year student, was just 5 years old when her grandma taught her how to hand stitch. Now, at 20, she’s building her own clothing brand and business enterprise, House of Sisson. 

“I remember making my sister a skirt,” Sisson said. “She was like 4, so it was really tiny, but really adorable. I have vivid memories of making that for her. That was really the first piece I ever made.”

As a child, Sisson also developed her skills by making doll clothes. By high school, she started taking her hobby more seriously. “When I was about 16, I was like, ‘Okay, I think I’m gonna pursue this professionally.’ So then I was dead set on Parsons,” she said. 

Sisson started building her brand after graduating high school. Since then, her design process has been largely explorative. “I’m still trying to figure out my brand identity and who my customers are, and what my brand aesthetic is. So far, I’ve really been doing whatever I want in terms of collection inspiration,” she said. 

At the beginning of her design process, Sisson often uses history as a jumping-off point. On her website, she showcases a look inspired by the Bushido virtues of Japanese Samurai, as well as the composition of renowned oil painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” In this example, Sisson combined two different cultural experiences to create something new. 

“I’ll find something in history, or some kind of visual or cultural motif. Some form of inspiration. And I’ll usually let that guide me to a few design ideas,” she said. After fleshing out her ideas, she goes into fabrics and production. 

Sisson has found certain materials she gravitates towards, generally opting for natural and non-stretch fabrics. “In general, I think that natural materials are always better than synthetic materials,” she said. This semester, she’s been drawn to pinstripe patterns and cites designer Thom Browne’s fabrics as inspiration.

Sisson sees design as a process of trial and error. “There’s always changes in the design process and making process,” she said. “I’ve never had a finished piece that’s exactly the way I originally designed it, but I think that’s kind of fun. And by the time you end up with your final piece, it’s an embodiment of the entire process. It’s kind of explorative, I feel like an investigator sometimes.”

Sisson makes her collections by hand, and there is only one of each piece. “I’m nowhere near at a point where it’s accessible to any large marketplace, but I definitely have goals to get there,” she said.

Sisson is also the resident designer for Oklahoma-based clothing brand Vintage 405. She has worked with the company for four years. In 2019, the Parsons student directed a fashion show at the brand’s 405 Fest, a pop-up event for artists and vendors. She learned how to book models, work in a management position and immerse herself in the operations of a small business. 

“It requires a lot of attention,” she said. “But the learning experiences I’ve had working with [the brand] and doing these shows and photoshoots is priceless.”

Sisson is minoring in film production, and plans to merge her passions for editorial photography and fashion within the House of Sisson enterprise. “I think publications and editorials have a really fantastic connection to fashion, and they’re a way to interact with the audience,” she said. “Fashion can be so narrative. It’s a way to tell a story, and that translates really well to photography and film.”

In addition to her clothing brand, Sisson is building a magazine. “I’m viewing House of Sisson as a bit more than just a retail or couture brand, more like an empire. I would love to branch into other things like editorials,” she said. The online publication features work inspired by Japan’s Onna-musha–warrior women. It also showcases Sisson’s Cocci Collection, an assortment of hand-dyed accessories.

Through photographing the pieces she designs, Sisson is enjoying the process of developing her brand’s image. She plans to explore new creative avenues while maintaining a strong foundation of clothing design. “That’s what Parsons is for, to explore that and learn and grow,” she said. “I want to keep going.”