Designer Interview with Meena Pittman: One Garment at a Time

Lorelei Harwood in Mr. Meena Rose, photographed by Sutton Raeburn

Meena Pittman (Mr. Meena Rose) holds an associate's degree in Apparel Design and Construction, owns and operates her own company, and is designing for Denver Fashion Week. 

As someone who has spent a year studying design and designing herself, Pittman has true insider knowledge of the craft and industry. She says that many don’t know about “how much work goes into each step of the process.” 

“We have been so desensitized to the work behind clothes with inexpensive options like Temu and Shein. When you pull back the curtain on the amount of work it takes to make just ONE GARMENT (from patterning, prototyping, and sewing), it shows how nefarious these prices are. With said prices, it’s inevitable that someone has been exploited.”

Pittman finds the medium of apparel design to be a unique way to convey messages, one based more on showing than telling.

“As opposed to traditional storytelling, which is literary, fashion design allows you to tell a story visually. Your audience isn’t given the words of the story, which is what I think makes it special.”

Throughout her design process, Pittman claimed her biggest challenge was the long distance. She had to work with Roam in order to transport the outfits all the way from Kansas to Colorado. “The team has been wonderful to work with.”

Kaia Gonzalez in Mr. Meena Rose, photographed by Laron Van Allen-Gillbert

Pittman also drew influence from a particular popular music record.

“My collection for [Denver Fashion Week] was inspired by the [Panic! At The Disco] album, ‘A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.’ P!ATD’s album art and general creative direction were heavily influenced by cabaret and the circus scene.”

The album cover art showcases five figures that look almost cut out, rearranged, and pasted like paper on a maroon background. The funky outfits and patterns and the overall bizarreness of the album cover make the album a perfect source of inspiration for anything circus-related. Pittman specifically took inspiration from the color palette of the ‘Live in Denver A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out Tour.’

To see Meena Pittman’s designs, visit mr-meenarose.com or follow her on Instagram and YouTube @mr.meenarose.