SLUG Style: Romy-Krystal Cutler

Romy-Krystal Cutler is the founder of Sewlike, a brand selling beautiful, colorful fabric and patterns for unique silhouettes. Growing up in Australia with ancestors from all over the world, Cutler sews her roots into every piece she makes. A lover of DIY, she is a self-proclaimed “dreamer and maker.”

What are your stylistic influences? This could be a band, decade, fictional character — anything.

Oh gosh, that’s a hard one. My influences have layered and combined over time. At the core, I have always been influenced by Ken Done and Marimekko with bold color and unique shapes. I take the normal, everyday things and make them loud, fun and super colorful! On top of that, I love Australian designers like Gorman and Aje and how they revolutionize basics that are easy to wear while creating modern style lines that you can live in. 

How does your upbringing in Sydney affect your identity and style today?

Sydney has greatly impacted my identity and style. It’s an outdoor city with pretty good weather all year round. It is busy with a mix of locals, tourists, students and corporate. It’s a walkable city with regular public transport. Whatever you’re wearing needs to be functional so it can easily take you from A to B and any detours in between. It was common to go from work to dinner and then a night out with friends, so your outfit had to be adaptable. All this taught me to dress for me and what my plans were rather than following trends. Let’s just say I was doing sneakers and dresses before it was actually cool.

What are your interests or hobbies? What is the hobby or interest that you have that no one would realize to ask you about?

Obviously sewing and fabric hoarding, but my first love was thrifting! It started with my mum and then as I got older, it became a fun way to mix and match clothes I had in my wardrobe. It would push my creativity. I still do it now, but it’s more around home decor because I cannot live in a boring home. I love picking up pieces to have around the house. I could go on and on about all the treasures. The more colorful, the better. 

Why is it important to you to give people access to your patterns rather than just selling them your final pieces?

Sewing is such an amazing skill that opens such a world of possibilities. There’s no limit to what you can create. One pattern in different fabrics can lead to a whole new wardrobe. Size inclusivity is incredibly important to me as well, because everyone deserves access to clothing that makes them feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. I love being able to create well-made patterns so they feel good using what they have around them. Some of my favorite pieces are made from scraps or thrifted fabrics.

Are you always “on” or would someone see you at the grocery store, for example, with fewer elements of your style?

Not even kind of. I’m a mama to neurospicy kids with a lot on her plate, so I’m not always put together. That’s real life: there will always be color, but it can range from outfits I’ve made completely to a mix of thrifted and handmade, or sometimes it’s PJs I stayed in all day. I will say, the days I’m not on are always the days I bump into everyone. Then I feel like I need to explain myself. 

Tell me about the process of making your own fabric. How did you learn to do that? How do you decide what color and patterns to use?

I am half Fijian Indian, so I grew up around a lot of block prints, but they always had a particular look to them. When I found out you could create custom block prints, it was a no-brainer. I had no background in surface design, but I understood block printing. There was a lot of trial and error since inks can look different after the block printing process. It was definitely a learn-as-you-go process. For colors, that was particularly hard. I was always choosing what felt good to me, but that doesn’t mean it resonates with others. I had to learn to start looking at color trends and mixing that with what I felt was cool and unexpected.

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would those be? 

Colorful. Effervescent. Fierce.

How has your personal style evolved over time?

Majorly. Confidence has been the main factor. When I was younger, I’d dress more around what was flattering — spending hours overthinking each outfit. But now, it’s all about what feels good to me and dressing for my own gaze. I’ve never had a style I stick to, and I love that I can keep discovering new things along the way. I dress to enjoy life, which means it’s going to keep changing and evolving. 

If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

Stop saving things for later or another time. Stand out, wear what feels good and don’t shrink yourself to play it safe.

Check out other fashion designers in Utah:
SLUG Style: James Newbold
SLUG Style: Veronika Clark 

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