Her words were like Handel’s Messiah. Following the four syllable framework of “Hallelujah,” her chorus of custom garments, fitted garments and couture garments, rang in my ears like Chorus 44. Whether she knew it or not, Rebecca Freeman spoke to two different sides of me; one as a consumer and one as an aspiring designer. The owner of House of Fabrics, and designer in Asheville Fashion Week, quickly became a role model as she promoted her personal standards in garment construction as well as the standards of the entire design team at House of Fabrics. “We try hard to make a good fabric story… a good marriage between a client and a garment because that’s what our garments are. We want our garments to last a lifetime not till next season. One of my three-year goals for our business is for our name to be known as THE place, not only in Asheville, but in the surrounding states, to find exquisite fabrics… to have one-of-a-kind, finely-fitted garments created with attention to detail, quality craftsmanship, and beautiful style. With a team of seven couture clothing designers, we have the ability to match a client’s needs to a specific talented designer, whether it be bohemian, classic, heirloom, or wild and crazy.” Rebecca Freeman's Tuscan Inspired Embroidery Work For those of you who don’t already know, the design team at House of Fabrics is one of the major sponsors for Asheville Fashion Week as well as a featured design group. The design team at HOF will be presenting the collection titled, “Seasons of Asheville.” All seven designers have collaborated on a collection that illustrates the beauty of Asheville while showcasing the wide range of style and talent that can be found at House of Fabrics. “Part of the attraction of Asheville is its beauty throughout the changing of seasons, so we decided to do the “Seasons of Asheville.”  Rather than simply highlighting a SS16 collection, we want to showcase a range of daywear to eveningwear throughout the changing seasons, and highlight the fine quality craftsmanship that is the focus of House of Fabrics & Sewing Center. We wanted to do it as a family… it’s not that our aesthetics are the same because they’re not. But our techniques are all the same. Our quality standards are all the same. We very much preach that in everything we do.” Only recently becoming more involved with the Asheville fashion scene, I had no clue that couture quality could be found right on Merrimon Avenue. Rebecca Freeman and the design team at HOF, are on my inspiration list because they understand the painstaking beauty of slow fashion. They raise the standard in quality for the slow fashion movement, which is a movement that emphasizes a decentralized economy, product longevity, and handmade products. Freeman may not have been singing hallelujah, but I sure was as her hopes for the first ever Asheville Fashion Week aligned with my own.  “My hope, with our participation in Asheville Fashion Week, is that people know Asheville has much to offer in the way of high-quality craftsmanship, talent, gorgeous fabrics, and style that stands the test of time.” To learn more about the design team at House of Fabrics, visit their website or check out their Facebook page. Also, be sure to pick up a copy of the August issue of Sophie Magazine and get a sneak peek of a few of the looks that will be shown in the “Seasons of Asheville” collection.