It’s possible that the outfit you see on Georgia Haak ‘19 in the halls was crafted by Haak herself. No matter where she goes, you can always recognize Haak by her signature thigh-high boots and homemade white T-shirt dresses.

“A shirt or dress takes an hour or two [to make]. I like to go to big outlet fabric stores and get stuff first. I come up with an idea after I shop. When I find an idea I’ll cut it and make it too big at first and then try it on and adjust,” says Haak.

Prior to coming to Blake in ninth grade, Haak attended Minnesota Waldorf School, a local independent school that stressed art and creativity.

For a school project in eighth grade, Haak “chose four buildings in Minneapolis and looked at the historical contexts and then made an item of clothing for each of them that was reminiscent of what historical period the place was built in.” This was her entryway into fashion as a leisurely designer and creator.

It’s presently “just for fun,” although she aspires to start a business and clothing line post-Blake. “I usually make [clothing] from scratch over breaks because [of schoolwork]. But I modify [clothing] that I find at a thrift store or something like every week,” says Haak.

Haak’s work expands beyond clothing. She’s been needle felting from a young age and, since March of her Sophomore year, has been getting her needle- felted figures to sellers. As of now, her needle-felted animals are sold in seven stores and twelve companies in Minneapolis. In essence, ornamental deer, foxes, dogs, etc. symbolize Haak’s debut into the realm of real world business. “[Selling ornaments] was easy to approach and didn’t really cost anything to start up. And then I knew of consignment stores to start selling at,” says Haak.

She notes that some consignment stores let anyone sell items, but she’s also achieved representation through mailing her work to companies as samples and appealing to them. As of now, Haak’s mini animals are on the market all throughout Minneapolis: at Bibelot, I Like You, Mother Earth Gardens, Minnesota Makers, Mama’s Happy Farmer’s Daughter, and The Waldorf School store.

Haak balances creation for money-making and for pass-ion; her needle-felting is simply for profit, but her interest in fashion is a personal form of escapism and cultural-analysis. Haak says, “If I’m really stressed out, [making clothes] distracts me and I’m really focused on it. And I think fashion is a really cool way to look at things. It reflects history, especially women’s place [in society]. As we’ve progressed, clothes have too. You can see that; you can see the correlation.”

Haak plans to study business in college, hoping to incorporate her skills to grow her business going forward.