O’Connor Daniel | Reporter
A discarded quilt. A sewing machine from her mom. A lifelong dream of walking the streets of Paris.
San Carlos, Calif., junior Caitlynn Reynolds watched “Little Women” on repeat while designing her final project in a Paris fashion studio. For her, the film’s nostalgia, softness and celebration of growing up without letting go of wonder captured exactly what she wanted her collection to feel like.
“I want my collection to feel the way this movie makes me feel — because it’s so full of wonder and childhood whimsy,” Reynolds, an apparel merchandising major, said.
This summer, Reynolds spent four weeks studying at the Paris College of Art, taking two intensive fashion courses. Her final project, a collection titled “Whimsy Kind of Woman,” reflected her personal journey of independence, creativity and sustainable design.
She documented the experience on a separate Instagram account dedicated to her time abroad, filled with fashion sketches, fabric studies and photos of her everyday inspiration in the city.
“Her passion for creativity really came through, not only in her posts, but also in her fashion sketches and apparel designs,” said Rochelle Brunson, an associate merchandising and design professor who taught Reynolds. “She loves to create, and that was evident throughout her time in Paris.”
Brunson said Reynolds stood out from the start.
“It was clear that she was focused, determined and had a strong sense of direction regarding her goals,” Brunson said.
Reynolds said she first learned to sew during the COVID-19 lockdown when she pulled out her mom’s machine and decided to make her own prom dress. That experience sparked an interest in fashion — and later, in repurposing old materials through thrifting and sustainable design.
“It puts into perspective when you are able to see a full garment fully being made from zero to 10,” she said.
In Paris, Reynolds took courses titled “Fashion Illustration Through the Eyes of Paris” and “Sustainable Couture Craftsmanship.” She said her favorite exhibits included a historical look at sportswear and a couture retrospective on Charles Frederick Worth, the founder of haute couture. His hand-sewn gowns were made for the wealthiest women of the 19th century, tailored through multiple fittings and constructed directly on the body with precise draping and intricate detailing.
“These dresses would cost as much as castles,” Reynolds said.
After seeing Worth’s sketches and designs, she began incorporating similar artistic elements into her final illustrations, but Reynolds’s work goes beyond aesthetics. Her personal research project, titled “Every Stitch Tells a Story,” explores her passion for sustainability and her belief that fabric carries memory.
“There’s a story behind every stitch that has made this piece of textile or garment,” she said.
One of her most meaningful projects was a quilted jacket made from a thrifted quilt with a tag that read “Quilted by Aunt Hope.” Reynolds kept the tag and stitched it into her new design.
“A part of Aunt Hope’s story lives on with me,” she said.
Though she traveled to Paris alone, Reynolds said the collection was also inspired by joyful, simple moments with friends back at Baylor — baking cakes, running through fields and dressing up for no reason.
“Not everything has to be so serious,” she said. “There’s so much whimsy and magic behind exploring something unfamiliar.”
Even as she looks to the future, she said her purpose remains clear: to create things of beauty and steward the gifts God has given her.
“I’m one person out of eight billion on this planet, but I think change can be made, and it starts with one person,” Reynolds said.
