TV Guests – Julie Tierney

Julie Tierney is her own muse behind Julie Tierney Fashion, and she is an outlaw, from a long line of outlaws. Julie is currently living in Grand Junction, Colorado where she is the magic behind J.M.F.T Industries: Julie Tierney Fashion, which is a luxury fashion-forward Americana brand. The brand is a story of her life.

Tierney began her tenure at Savannah College of Art and Design thinking she would design women’s fly-fishing clothing. Fortunately, she wound up working with French designer Catherine Malandrino, who inspired her to create a collection based off her lifestyle and the places she has been. She draws inspiration from cold-weather scenes the world over, and her clothes recall everything from ’80s skate scene, snowboarding, national parks, to the traditional wears of nomadic Tartars and the landscape of the Colorado high-country. Tierney doesn’t consider herself a “fashion person,” she delights in figuring out clever construction techniques and pattern combinations to create infallible fashion. But, for such an unfashion-y fashion designer, who never saw herself as a fashion designer, she is having a great time.

Before all this fashion business, Tierney was a competitive snowboarder and competed in the US Snowboard Extremes in Crested Butte, and was sponsored by Betty Rides and Stihl Inc. She returned to college at age 32 after being awarded artistic honors scholarship at SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design). Her proudest moment at SCAD was making the prestigious equestrian team, after never riding a horse. In addition to being selected for the high profile SCAD fashion show in 2010, Tierney was featured in NYLON Magazine, and then a year later was a contestant on Project Runway Season 9. Tierney’s fashion illustrations are crazy beautiful, and it’s hard to believe she learned to illustrate in 2009.

Currently, Tierney has her designs produced in Colorado through CO Sewn, is working on getting J.M.F.T Straight Bourbon produced, and listening to Merle Haggard, “I Think I’ll Stay Here And Drink”, while making handbags, and coats out of sleeping bags.