It takes one step from behind the curtain for junior America Fritz-Williard to feel her best. Besides it being her first year at FHN, America has made her presence known from her carefully pieced together outfits and “clicky clacky” heels to being a model and fashion assistant.
“My favorite thing is that it makes me feel confident and that I’m not blending in with the crowd, makes me feel like I’m bold and out there, honestly,” America said.
America has been dabbling into the fashion world since she was just two years old. From the age of six, she has been modeling and assisting for her mother, Caroline Williard’s, brand “CW Couture”.
“[America] insisted on being right next to me as I sewed clothes; she’d be messing with the fabrics and yarns and stuff… she started having a huge interest in the modeling industry,” Caroline said.
America starts by cutting out patterns designed by Caroline, whose inspiration comes from nature and fabric she encounters in stores. Caroline sketches out the line and makes patterns for America to cut. While Caroline makes most of the design and fabric decisions, America helps cut out, sew and bring the ideas to life. Finally, America shows them off on the runway: lifted chin, shoulders back and a loose, confident stride.
“[On the runway, I’m thinking about] making sure that I kind of don’t laugh, because when you’re on the runway you have to be
very serious,” America said.
Due to having a smaller height than the average model, America has had to come up with clever ways to model dresses. Often, she will wear platforms to help meet the average model and outfit heights. This past September, “CW Couture” made its way to San Diego, where last year Caroline won “San Diego Fashion Week 2023 Top Designer” and received a certificate from the state of California. America, while missing a few days of school, got to model her mother’s brand and work with other small designers,
something newer to her.
“I love new experiences… it was a lot of fun, I got to really feel how it’s like kind of modeling outside what it’s like with my mother,” America said.
This year, “CW Couture” was asked to assist in “Miss Europe’s” pageant, where America’s mom will be staying in Italy to help with pieces this upcoming summer. America’s experience with fashion and small designers has taught her that it is important to value the work of smaller businesses.
“Most of the time companies like Shein and Temu, they kind of just rip off small designers,” said America. “They just take their designs and put it as their own, and I don’t really think that should happen.”
America’s contribution to fashion and her mom’s business, while greatly displaying her skills and talents, also highlights her personal strength and perseverance. Her story is something that inspires, as despite dealing with emotional hardships, America
chooses to overcome them.
“[What makes me proud is] she could have succumbed to negative thoughts and feelings and instead rises above,” Caroline said.
