If anyone knows how to mix tomboy attitude with ladylike chic, it’s Jude Feller. The Vancouver designer is best known for her locally made line, lily+jae, which marries feminine, flirty style with edgy, contemporary masculine touches. It’s sold all over North America and Asia and has even attracted the attention of A-list stars like Drew Barrymore, Lykke Li and Lily Allen. Jude is a fashion industry veteran. She went to design school in 1999 and got her official start in the industry as a design intern with the popular Vancouver based retailer, Aritzia. She was a buyer in the costume department for film and television for seven years before leaving her job to launch lily+jae and design full time. Her next project will be designing a fresh, new women’s line for Lifetime Collective’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection. We sat down with Jude to learn more about her fashion inspirations, what her creative process is and what she jams to while designing.

You’ve had a lot of success with lily+jae, but I understand this wasn’t actually your first line?
No, I had a small line of tank tops called “Love Judy” back in 2003. After I left the television industry, I started lily+jae on my own and out of my house. It launched in Spring 2007 with a nine piece collection and the rest is history, as they say.

Why did you want to become a designer?
Design is the perfect creative outlet for me. I was raised by a painter and loved her creative process but textiles were always my preference, so fashion was the perfect fit.

Do you have a personal fashion philosophy?
Yes, always have a balance between fashion and function.

What does the creative process mean to you?
It’s the only part of my job that feels off the beaten path. It’s a challenge that only I can solve. There is no wrong or right with creativity, so the guidelines can come from within. There is a huge sense of freedom in my creative process.

Now that we’re on the subject, what is your creative process?
I’m very old fashioned. I like to see and feel what I’m working with prior to actually working with it. I also draw on paper rather than on the computer.

What goes into designing a collection for lily+jae?
With lily+jae, I’m designing for a customer who I know and have been growing with for ten seasons. As I mentioned, I like to feel what I’m working with, so I will get my fabric first and have swatches to touch prior to drawing. The great thing with owning my own line is that I can take my time with the whole process. I’m able to make changes up to the last minute with lily+jae because all sample sets are accessible to me. Since they’re made here [in Vancouver], if I would like to change something it’s fairly easy. As a designer and an artist, it’s really nice to have the freedom to make adjustments along the way.

Who is your style icon?
Jean Seberg, [an American actress famous in the late 50s, 60s and 70s]. Her style was classic, timeless, and casual yet still fashion forward.

You’re designing the women’s line for Lifetime’s SS 2012 collection. What attracted you to this project and the company?
The challenge to gently take the women’s line from tomboyish into a competitive women’s brand is really what appealed to me the most. I am also excited to work with the men’s designers to create a collection that works together, yet the women’s and men’s lines are still recognizable as being separate from each other.

How did the Lifetime woman inspire you to create the line?
I saw her going through this change [between growing up from a tomboy into a lady] and I wanted to help point her in the right direction.

Do you identify with the Lifetime woman?
Yes, completely! I see the Lifetime woman as myself. I started out as a tomboy; I grew up on a snowboard and have been known to push a skateboard around too. I am also very much into the music and art scene.

What was it like creating the SS12 collection?
I wasn’t able to go with my regular creative process, so it was more of a challenge. I spent a lot of time trying to develop my new “girl” (aka Selby) and making sure she fit well with the original Lifetime woman. Once I got to designing I wasn’t able to touch the materials. This time I was drawing with photos of fabric and swatches of similar materials. It was a lot different for me.

You’ve always been a solo designer. What was it like working with the Lifetime team?
Being able to bounce ideas off the men’s designers was very helpful. The team at Lifetime is relaxed and fun. It felt like working with my brothers, which is more than I could have asked for.

What can we expect from the SS12 collection?
It should feel like a breath of fresh air. It’s a balance of what the Lifetime woman was and what she will become. The change is subtle enough that the initial customer can relate, yet it will catch the eye of the new Lifetime woman.

What kind of impact would you like your art to make?
I want to make sure that if a woman is wearing something I designed, she’s being complimented on a daily basis. I want to make women feel good about themselves whenever they wear my designs.

What inspires you when you design?
It really varies. I noticed this old, Italian lady walking across the street the other day and giggled at the inspiration she provided. If we’re talking music inspiration though, I generally listen to a lot of female vocalists while designing. It keeps me away from just designing for fun and comfort, which is what I save for when I listen to reggae!