FIT Institutional Repository

Image 1: "I Touch Myself with Gloves to Feel Someone's Touch."

I design for my love of it. I've always wanted to be a fashion designer for as long as I can remember. Growing up with five older sisters ignited my love of fashion, and the desire to dress very different women. I like to design with diversity in mind, the garments in my collections are for anyone and everyone. I chose the sportswear specialization because of the total versatility of the category, there are no limitations to what you can create in sportswear. I think my design aesthetic could be seen as a wearable 'Science Fiction costume. I take a lot of inspiration from great Sci-Fi books, films, and art.

Image 1: The concept of artificial womb is defined in the silhouette of the notch collar jacket made from organza. Extra volume around abdomen is an abstract representation of the shape of the womb

I think fashion is not only an object but also an art that could be a mark of an era. It allows designers to express emotions and convey information to the world. I have been interested in design since I was a child. I found that inspiration can come from any moment and any place. I hope no matter where I go, and what I do, beauty and surprises will stay with me at all times, so I can ultimately turn them into actual works. My design includes my personal attitude and style. I chose sportswear because it will have more possibilities for me.

Image 1: Heterochromia iris print catsuit 3D render.

I became interested in fashion design at a young age while scouring in store clothing racks. What really motivated and pushed me into the field was costume design. With its own unique challenges, costume design is a special medium that is rooted in versatility of inspiration, motivation, and storytelling. As a designer, I bring character into clothing to create much more than a garment and push myself to work outside of my comfort zone. I would consider my design aesthetic to be elegant, flirtatious, business in the front, and party in the back.

It seems cliché to say I really love shopping, but I do. I have always loved to style myself as well as those around me. I have always wanted to dress someone from head to toe with the designs I've created. I chose sportswear specialization because I didn't want to limit myself to one kind of occasion wear. Being in the sportswear specialization taught me that sportswear doesn't always need to be a ready-to-wear kind of clothing, but if you think creatively, you can transform a ready-to-wear piece into something fancy, casual, or business-like. I believe being simple with a small dash of creativity is best because the entire look is presented by its neatness and is still pleasing to the eye.

Image 1: Silk chiffon blazer with matching pants and asymmetrical cropped button-up shirt.

I am only inclined to give energy to things I am truly passionate about. Fashion is one of them. I am very receptive to emotions and I feel more than I would like to, but this has greatly helped me in my journey to becoming a designer. Through close observation of everyday experiences, I am able to create pieces that are familiar but distinctive. My aesthetic blends into many different opposing ideas, but ultimately exists as an exploration of different time periods and the culture of whatever place I am currently in. I aim to bring life to people through fashion, to give them the ability to choose who they want to be, even though it's subject to change.

Growing up, I have always been into fashion under my mother's influence as she's a shopaholic. I design to embrace all angles of female beauty, allowing people to show both their vulnerability, and their confident sides in the extreme of super feminine tight fitted creations balanced out by badass structural silhouettes.

Image 1: "Skin Walker". The debut collection of Brand Carnage In Bloom by Isabel Levit. A personal collection about regaining emotional innocence. The hand drawn corset layered in a liquid blood filled pocket is softened by the ruched taffeta skirt and petticoat resulting in a look that reflects divergent love.

My journey to becoming a designer has always been about learning something new. I think what is important to learn, is not only about making the garment, but keeping an open mind about the design process from start to finish. My grandmother was a seamstress, and a part of her is within me and my reason to design. She has been an inspiration for me to become a fashion designer and make anything possible. I would describe myself as a designer who creates items that are elegant, detail-oriented, and yet have a sense of simplicity. I chose my specialization to be sportswear because of the endless possibilities that you can create. Designs can be versatile and have their own personality. As a designer, my interests are not only limited to design. I want to impact the industry in a positive way, in any way possible.

My paternal grandmother and my nana were seamstresses. I always watched them when they sewed and made dresses. When I was five years old, I designed a dress for my sister using a shower curtain. When my parents saw my talent, they enrolled me in camps that offered classes in design and/or sewing which involved taking classes with different talented and important designers in Puerto Rico, such as Carlota Alfaro, Jaer Caban, and Lisa Thom. From my first dress at five years old, until today, I understood that fashion design is my passion. It is a form of artistic expression and a medium used to express my ideas and where I come from. Puerto Rico is an island full of nature and beautiful beaches, these are the inspirations in my creations. I understand that this is what makes me unique as a person and a designer.

Designing clothes and seeing my creations come to life truly taught me that one can "Choose a job you love and never have to work a day in your life." I have always had a keen eye for detail and found joy in putting outfits together. I was into fine art from a young age, but aspired to learn something new, it was then that I chose to become a fashion designer. Unfortunately, my dreams to be a designer didn't come easy. It took me three tries to be accepted into the Fashion Design Program at FIT. That didn't stop me, it made me stronger. I believe that this speaks to who I am as a person. As a designer, my focus is to create wearable clothing that make women feel elegant and comfortable in their own skin. I believe that "less is more" and create sophisticated, poised designs.

My journey as a designer started when I became tired of buying several pieces of clothing and only wearing them once because I would easily become bored. I rarely found pieces of clothing in stores that I really loved and would wear multiple times. Going into design, I always felt like I needed to be in a specific "category" and I was always nervous about stepping out of my comfort zone. I was afraid to design pieces that maybe others would not wear, but I came to learn that there is always a market out there for people that will wear your fun unique designs. The fashion world has taught me how much fabric goes to waste and motivates me to create designs that people will want to wear repeatedly. My design aesthetic is a mix of edgy with a hint of girly, not just one specific "aesthetic".

Image 1: These declivity pieces were made for each other. The deep plunge is a reversible high-leg bodysuit with power mesh insert and sleeves. It pairs perfectly with the cut-out ankle pant made with organic canvas with bungee cords at the hips.

Ever since I was a young girl, I have been deeply in love with the thought of being able to create my own designs. I still recall the epic "this is what I want to wear to school" kindergarten battles I had with my mother before she understood my devotion to experimenting with my costumes. Designing is all I have ever wanted to do, once I started sewing lessons, it was the only activity I loved and continued to pursue. Now I am designing to use my voice and talent to make a change, through a creative outlook of a cross between vintage and modern ideas that create youthful garments, whether that be with a fabric or a silhouette. Sportswear was the specialization calling my name that would give me free range to continue my streetwear/vintage aesthetic.

Growing up, I was moved by the transformative quality of fashion and how it creates an opportunity to freely experiment with self-expression. I am fascinated by the relationship between clothing and emotion, and how the external can reflect our internal experience. I see fashion design as an art medium where thoughts, emotions, and ideas can be explored and expressed on the body. Expressionist art, surrealism, and music deeply influence my work, and I am drawn to creating abstract pieces that disrupt the usual way of thinking about clothes and also engage people's imagination. I would love to blend fashion design with other mediums like performance, film, and music to create an interactive, immersive experience.

Whether I'm designing, writing, styling or directing, the story I share through fashion is my bottom line. Through designing, I strive to weave dynamic, personal narratives through powerful storytelling. I love tying in secret messages, symbolism, and references to personal and cultural zeitgeists. Behind each collection is an emotional foundation, and a desire to be seen, heard, and understood. I believe fashion is reflective of not only the individual's experience, but culture, politics, and society as a whole, and I fell in love with it because it shares stories and messaging that change me for the better. My biggest career goal is to use fashion as a mass cultural catalyst. Simply, fashion is about us. To make us *gestures broadly*, in any capacity, feel better, stronger, more curious, more us, through fashion—that is my biggest drive to create.

The fashion industry has a great impact on the environment, and I feel a responsibility to do my part to make fashion more sustainable. Luckily, problem-solving is one of my favorite aspects of design. The curriculum in Milan pushed us to research and to consider the product life cycle, and how it can be improved for a more circular economy. The market is oversaturated and there needs to be an emphasis on reducing the number of items in a wardrobe while enhancing the duality of individual pieces. I want to create clothes that aren't limited in their aesthetics or purpose. Clothes are more than what you put on your back and should enhance the wearer's lifestyle. Empowering women will always be my main objective, but there are a host of opportunities where fashion can contribute to society's ecosystem.

I am many things, but the first thing I am is a designer/artist. In my designs, I incorporate art, as art influences my fashion and vice versa. The clothing itself is art, that's what fashion is for, and that's why people buy certain styles, they essentially become walking art. Designing is like art because it's subjective, designing is a duty to give to the world, unfortunately, the world is impacted by climate change. I want to include not only style but innovation in what I put out into the world, being impactful especially if waste is involved, so I'm big on craftsmanship/longevity. I'm sustainable, I work with eco-friendly fabric, little to no waste pattern-making, making clothes functional/stylish yet not harmful to the environment, using scraps from those creations to create another. I want to change the world for the better, with better clothes and less pollution.

I grew up following my mother around stone yards and artisan shops as she designed the interior of people's homes. As I got older, I recognized the same creative passion in myself towards clothing. When I was around 15, I began sewing and drawing and have been evolving aesthetically ever since. I started at FIT in 2017 to learn essential technical skills and found a love for art and fashion history that influences a lot of my work. I strive to tell narratives through my clothing while bringing a sense of form, function, and bold fluidity that inspires both individualism and confidence within the wearer. My work is aimed towards anyone of any age, shape, or gender. I am fed up with the industry pushing customers to consume too much, and I hope to promote innovation and longevity.

Fashion design started as an art form and became the savior of my life, a form of therapy. I wanted to build a life that I could always enjoy, not live a life I needed to escape. My design aesthetic is structural due to my attraction to sleek, modern architecture and geometric shapes. Having lived in and educated in the bicoastal cities of LA and NYC, I appreciate the energy of these dynamic cities that provide broad perspectives on the need for diverse fashion. My husband who inspires me states, "Skyscrapers and buildings are beautiful, but they are manmade and need to be taken care of…Nature has a way of replenishing itself to stay beautiful. That's why there's life in nature, but buildings are lifeless unless humans inhabit them." My fascination with big cities compels me to create fashion that celebrates awe-inspiring architecture that is enlivened by the vitality of people.

Image 1: "Never Forever" collection concept page.

I began designing at age seven. My father owned a menswear store where I often spent time watching him style men with the latest streetwear fashions. From then on, I wanted to create fashion and set trends that turn heads. What is unique about me as a designer, is my ability to incorporate elegant design details into everyday wear and create clothing a step above the norm. I chose sportswear as my specialization because I have always had an underlying love for it. Throughout high school and college, I had been expressing myself through special occasion garments. But going into sportswear nurtured and ignited a forgotten flame that allowed me to analyze the style that I grew up observing, and truly customize it. My aesthetic can be simply described as embellished streetwear. I enjoy taking regular streetwear staples and adding glistening details that take it from streetwear to something higher.