In 1993 Rene Geneva received an inheritance that would change her life: her grandmother's Singer sewing machine.

Working as a freelance photographer at the time, Rene found that her clothing designs brought new inspiration to her work in the studio. Self-taught in design, sewing and patterning, with many mentors along the way, she landed her first gig in 1994 with an Orlando designer whose style and philosophy was quite different from her own, though it managed to pique her interest in the world of fashion as an art form. From there, Rene was contracted by Entertain Fla, Inc to design and manufacture costumes for Universal Studio's parade performers. Desiring to explore fresh directions in her own work, Rene started Faernyn's Grove (now the brand name of her corsetry) in 1997.

She moved to Austin, Texas in 2002 where she opened her first design studio. Focusing on custom-made clothing, she and her assistants worked with individual customers as well as producing limited wholesale orders for boutiques around the world.

Rene also picked up where she left off with costuming, working on such films as The King (w/Gael Garcia Bernal, 2005), and Dot (Burnt Orange Productions, 2005).

As Rene’s skill as a designer grew, so did her awareness of the world around her. She realized that her business needed to account for its impact on the environment – both ecological and social. That meant a commitment to materials, production methods and business practices that did the least possible harm to the environment – and the people who inhabit it.

In November 2005, Rene headed to Nicaragua (the second poorest nation in the Western hemisphere) to work with a fair wage, fair trade women’s textile cooperative. Training them in the elements of corsetry and appliqué enabled them to produce Rene’s latest designs – and to expand their capabilities beyond T-shirt production. This partnership reflects Rene Geneva’s commitment to support fair wage and fair trade practices.

Her newest design collection is a line of unique fashions inspired by Japanese architecture and made of sustainable materials such as organic cotton, wildcrafted silk, hemp, tencel, and recycled textiles. Her intention is to promote traceability and focus on fabrics that come directly from weavers who live in the villages where the cotton is grown, where the silk is gathered, and where the money is needed most.

Much of Rene’s inspiration comes from the field of sustainable architecture and green design. Instead of searching for ideas in fashion magazines, she feeds her creative fire with the latest issues of Dwell or Eco-Structure.

When Rene isn’t working, she’s enjoying her four-year-old son and seeking inspiration through traveling, snowboarding, dirt biking, wake surfing, stilt walking, fire dancing, and finding time to sleep.
Be human.