Sewing for hours and hours and designing unique pieces is a skill that comes naturally to Foran alumni Jill Montano. Born in 2019, her brand Ragster reworks simple pieces and turns them into new and innovative looks.
Initially, Montano first began making clothing for herself, and even taught herself how to sew so she could alter her own clothes.
Montano states, “People started asking me where I got my sweatshirt or something that I was wearing that I made, I realized that I would be able to sell the pieces I was making.”
With this, Montano started to build her brand and would post her new designs on Instagram, she continued to create and found success with new buyers.
Montano favors upcycling and thrifting clothes, taking almost anything that may be damaged or too small and making it into something new and innovative.
Frequent purchaser of the clothing, Alex Tobin, shares her thoughts on the flourishing brand.
“Jill always brings visions to life and puts in a lot of time and effort sourcing and crafting each piece of clothing.”
The process of making a custom design can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several days, depending on the complexity of the piece. After gathering the materials, she starts off with a rough draft and then adds her own flare when designing.
Tobin states, “Clothes from Ragster are different from anything you can find in a store so they stand out. I love that they’re all one of a kind and custom pieces. I’ve gotten so many compliments.”
Starting from high school, Montano always knew she wanted to go into the art field. Going into college, she learned about graphic design. She uses this to market her brand when creating new products.
“I’d say I’m most inspired by Nicole McLaughlin and Detective Garments on Instagram. But honestly a ton of people and things that I see in my day to day life inspire the work I do.”
Montano frequently has pop-ups on the Milford Green for her brand and has seen tangible results with many buyers and has reached mainstream success.
“The coolest thing I’ve experienced so far was making a custom shirt for singer Jessie Murph and then seeing her actually wear it at one of her concerts.”
Montano has high aspirations for her brand in the future and hopes to keep creating and expressing herself through her work. Eventually, she wants to design for celebrities and musicians and bring their unique visions to life.
