Fashion is everywhere. It is a part of all cultures. It defines who we are and it reflects what we want to look like. But for something that is so much a part of our lives, it is incredibly difficult to define. All that we can say about fashion with certainty is that it is always changing. Coco Chanel defined fashion as “not something that exists in dresses only; fashion is something in the air. It is the wind that blows in the new fashion, you feel is coming, you smell it…in the sky, in the street, and fashion is governed and defined by constant, wind-like flux, by our need to look up at the sky or to look down at the street and to use all of our senses in order to keep fashion alive, to keep creating.” This is what excites me about fashion; it will keep changing through generations and it will do so for eternity. It is a statement of emotions, attitudes, culture, style, expressions, and character. Fashion is an art form, and through it, I have found the perfect expression of my wants and desires.
I can trace my involvement with fashion as far as I can remember. As a little girl, modeling gave me the chance to work with different designers, giving me a taste early on of what it takes to be part of the fashion industry. As I grew up, my interest in the art and business of the industry evolved. I began to take sewing classes, and while modeling was exhilarating, I felt a longing to be the one who creates and dictates what the model wears. For two summers I interned at Perry Ellis International, where I had the opportunity to more deeply explore the “behind the scenes” side of the fashion world. As I witnessed design concepts move from the draft table to real, wearable garments, I realized that fashion would be my destiny, and I had no choice but to strive for success in the industry.
All my life, I have been a creative and artistic person, sketching, painting, sewing, and sculpting my way through the good times and the bad times in my life. Designing clothing has allowed me to express my ideas in a more palpable way that lives and breathes. Fashion is my preferred avenue of expression because my imaginings are brought to life by people wearing the garment I create. I have also found the perfect art form with which to express the melting pot of cultures that have surrounded and shaped me throughout my life. I was born in Panama and grew up in Miami and to this day, everything I design is influenced by the colorful intersection of languages, customs, and flavors found in those places. It is my goal as a designer to channel these distinct cultures into the increasingly diverse world of fashion design. My upbringing and experience with fashion has also inspired me to design the idea that women should go through life with confidence and feeling good about what they are wearing. As Coco Chanel stated, “in order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”