Miller Johnson ’21 Draws Inspiration from Dresses

“Growing up, my mom always loved dressing us up in pretty clothes, and it is sad that kids only wear these nice clothes for a short amount of time and then they just sit in the closet forever,” says Miller, who has been a Hutchison student since pre-kindergarten. “I had seen drawings of other dresses with pretty lace, and it inspired me to create some of my own.”

Once she ran out of her own childhood dresses to draw, she knew she needed permission to draw someone else’s designs. After learning about Frances Rose Boutique, a company that creates heirloom and custom children’s clothing, Miller reached out.

It was a productive call. Miller began assisting Allison in many of her design projects. Allison would describe what she wanted for the dress designs, and Miller would then sketch them and help with the fabric selections. Right now, they are working on upcoming spring and summer designs. Miller says it has been particularly rewarding to see her designs come to life.

“During the design process, I wasn’t thinking about how cool it would be to see my drawings come to life. To see the dress in person, the drawing in real life, and see girls wearing the dresses is amazing,” she says.

With graduation quickly approaching, Miller will get to see more of her work come to life as she is working with Allison and the Frances Rose team to create her own graduation dress. Allison’s daughter Mary ’33 will also serve as Miller’s flower girl.

This fall, Miller will attend Southern Methodist University where she has been admitted into the Meadows School of the Arts. Although she hasn’t chosen a major yet, she plans to minor in studio art. She credits Hutchison with helping her discover a passion for art that she might not have otherwise known was there.

“My Hutchison experience has been amazing. Thinking back, I have been able to try everything I have ever wanted to while being here. In middle school, I never would have thought I'd be interested in visual arts, but when given the chance, I loved it. If Hutchison’s curriculum hadn’t encouraged me, I wouldn’t have pursued it. I have loved my time here, and I am sad it’s almost over!”