by SCOTT C

Were it not for hindrances such as paying for food, every twentysomething with a creative bent would quit their day job and devote full energy to their craft. Last summer, at 20 years old, Iris Taborsky-Tasa decided to take that leap. She's been sewing proof of her go-at-it-yourself potential ever since, creating clean and cozy designs under her clothing label, Haiiku.

Like the poetic form of a similar name, Haiiku stands for simplicity and balance, subtly revealing the attention to detail that Taborsky-Tasa puts into her clothing. "I knit, crochet, embroider and bead," she explains. "And that's what makes my designs different to me. I like a good balance between composition and colour. I love buttons. I also get a lot of inspiration for my clothing from nature. For example, sometimes I'll stitch a bird or a flower on a shirt, or some leaves."

There's symmetry in Haiiku that also reflects the designer's nature. "I just have a thing for doubles," she says. "There are two "i"s in my name, I like double numbers - especially 22 for some reason - and I'm a twin." Dig this: Iris (and her sister) turn 22 this year.

"I've been focused on this for a long time," she says. "My mom taught me to sew when I was 10. I started hand-stitching then and a couple months later I started with skirts and tops - she taught me how to draft a pattern really quickly and I just went on from there."

Currently, Haiiku clothing is available at Local 23 (23 Bernard W.) and Nahika (4418 St-Denis). Meanwhile, Taborsky-Tasa is also working on a less-cozy, more-concept line that will include dresses made of bubblewrap and cardboard, destined for the walls of the Green Room in February alongside visual art by Peru, as well as wearables that will be part of a fashion show at La Gaillarde in March. She can be contacted at haiikuiris@gmail.com.