How Gordana Gehlhausen is Designing a Brighter Future
LOS ANGELES — Gordana Gehlhausen has loved fashion since she was 13 years old. In fact, she can recall the exact moment it changed her life forever.
“I was made fun of for being the skinniest kid in my village, they all thought I was sickly. Nobody really noticed me,” Gehlhausen recounted, the hint of a smile on her face.
Tired of feeling unnoticed and underestimated, the young creative knew exactly how she could make herself stand out. Armed with only her brother’s military undershirt and a friend’s suede jacket, Gehlhausen stayed up all night working on her first outfit.
The teen discovered that, by using an onion peel from the Bosnian markets, she could dye the undershirt a pale shade of golden-yellow. She spent hours hunched over the top, hand-stitching a palm tree onto the center and using jacket buttons to add a bit of sparkle to the matching skirt.
Debuting her new look at a local country fair, it became clear that the effort had been worth it. People stopped her constantly, begging to know where she had found such unique pieces. Too embarrassed to say that she had made the outfit herself, she claimed to have bought it in neighboring Italy.
It was from this day on that Gehlhausen knew fashion would play an integral role in her life. What had started as a hobby went on to become the source of her self-reliance, allowing the young designer to take her career, and future, into her own hands.
“Fashion gave me such a confidence. It made me realize how powerful passion is.”
Bolstered by her newfound sense of self, the young fashionista had run away from home at 17 and attended a college in Germany. There, she found herself surrounded by other creatives and aspiring designers. After working for several years to save up funds, Gehlhausen found herself with an expired student visa and no definitive future plans.
“My country was starting to fall apart, plus, I had run away from it anyway. I had never really thought of America, but maybe that could be my opportunity, my future.
Now, living as a full time fashion designer in Los Angeles, Gehlhausen is more dedicated to her passions and skills than ever before. She has successfully launched her own clothing lines, opened her own — now closed — stores, and dressed countless celebrities for red carpet events. The designer was also a two-time star and fan favorite on “Project Runway.”
Having been instructed to bring a model to her Miami audition for the reality show, Gehlhausen looked television personality Tim Gunn right in the eye and said, “ I don’t sell my clothes from a model. If my stuff is worth anything, you will recognize it from a hanger.”
Impressed by her confidence, Gunn welcomed the Yugoslavian designer to join season 6 of “Project Runway” in 2009, where she placed fifth out of 16 contestants.
“My slogan was ‘Give me a sheep and I’ll give you a sweater!’” Gehlhausen laughed, now sporting matching Gucci sunglasses and shoes while casually lounging on her porch.
Her faithful LA clientele and lucrative career have allowed her and her husband to design their own Woodland Hills house from the ground up. Decked out in animal-print wallpaper, brightly colored furniture, and ballgown sporting mannequins, the home has an artistic flair that only a practiced designer could bring out.
“ I have such gratitude. I can remember running away with a bus ticket and a sandwich, and this is where I am now. I am 61 now, and it’s been fun doing fashion, but I wanted to leave something behind.”
And that’s exactly what she’s doing with her latest venture and passion project. Using her success to benefit those in the surrounding community, Gehlhausen has joined forces with supermodel and author, Camerone Parker, to found Thread Fashion Future.
Thread Fashion Future is a non-profit started in early 2025 that is dedicated to passing on the fundamental skills of sewing, knitting, and crochet to anyone interested in learning. Collaborating with SCORE, a website offering mentorship to small business owners, Gehlhausen receives virtual guidance and training on the intricacies of running the organization.
Pledging to help cover any costs that may arise from transportation, the events are run out of Gelhausen’s own zebra-striped living room. For those unable to come in person, she offers Zoom classes and virtual advice seminars. The designer also provides any sewing machines, materials, or assistance that might be required for first time creators.
“I used to have a lot of interns working with me, and I realized how many of them don’t know how to sew a button. They might study fashion, but they study history of fashion or fabrics. Not many people really know how to produce a garment with their hands,” she explained.
Although Gehlhausen’s team are still updating their website and creating promotional material, the first few workshops have already been a success. Starting off with a trio of students, a mother-daughter duo and a teenage boy, the trial run sessions have focused primarily on the basics of using a sewing machine. The designer particularly enjoys teaching others the art of persistence and patience, hoping the classes will help people learn to switch off devices and put more effort into creative hobbies.
“ It’s kind of nice to pass on something that I have learned,” she said. “Some kind of tradition that was passed on for so many generations.”
