News Awards & Events Fashion Week Designers' Firsts: Jonathan Simkhai on When He Knew He Wanted to Be a Designer By Andrea Cheng Andrea Cheng Andrea Cheng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers all things fashion, celebrity style, beauty, and trends. She was previously the Digital Fashion News Editor at InStyle. InStyle's editorial guidelines Updated on February 11, 2017 @ 10:00AM Pin Share Tweet Email Photo: courtesy Jonathan Simkai "Designers' Firsts" is a series where seasoned designers recall their first major milestones in their careers (read Thakoon Panichgul and Josep Font of Delpozo). Next up: Jonathan Simkhai, who will show his fall 2017 collection at 5 p.m. ET on Feb. 11 during New York Fashion Week. The first time I knew I wanted to be a designer: At age 14 when I worked at a local boutique doing the window displays. My first sketch was of: A blazer with a mini skirt. The first thing I ever designed was: A dress for my friend that I made by deconstructing my own shirt. My first mentor was: Susan Joy. courtesy Jonathan Simkhai My first show at New York Fashion Week was in: Fall 2011. The first celebrity to ever wear my designs: Drew Barrymore wearing a dress she bought herself. The first lesson I learned the hard way: Spending too much time on one design. An overworked piece is never a good thing. You have to know when to move on. VIDEO: Spring Fashion Trends We're Looking Forward to in 2017 The first thing I ever Instagrammed was: Something that has since been deleted forever!