When Caitlin Mociun found herself going nuts in a boring 9 to 5 job, she started making one-of-a-kind pieces of clothing for extra money and selling them at Bird, a boutique in Brooklyn."Within a few months I had my stuff in some other stores in New York and one in Japan," she says.

Then came the tipping point. Buyers from Brooklyn and Japan really started to notice her print-based clothing line—particularly best-sellers like the tie-front dress and the muumuu—and were clamoring for more. So what made Mociun (pronounced "motion") such a stand out? "I guess my use of print," Caitlin explains. "I try and print on almost everything—if I could manage it, everything would be printed!"

The inspiration for her prints can usually be traced back to fine art. "I often go to museums and galleries to pick an artist or movement to base each collection on," she says. "I'm also drawn to Native American costume, beadwork and art—it always sneaks in somehow." And then there's her childhood home, in Nevada City, California. "My parents live on 120 acres outside of town, near a beautiful river. I'm always drawing from pictures of my childhood there...lots of animals and nature objects!"

So what's next for this emerging design talent? "For my spring 2008 collection, I'll be using the art of Kiki Smith, Bauhaus textiles and color exercise paintings, and late 18th-century nightgowns as inspiration." Beyond that, her immediate goal is to get her fabrics printed instead of doing it solo. "It takes way too long to print over 100 yards by myself! I'm trying to make things run more smoothly so that I can spend more of my energy designing and doing creative things."

We can't wait to see what she comes up with! Look for Mociun online at Steve Alan, Beklina and Jumelle.

RANDOM TANGENT:
Jon Fishman, Phish's drummer, often wears a muumuus when he plays because he says it lets him move freely.

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