MEET THE DESIGNER

By way of El Paso, Texas, I inducted myself in the fast paced world of fashion by costuming and sewing at mass for local theatres and dance troupes in my teens in high school. I then had the distinct privilege of being formally trained and earning my degree in New York City’s prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology, specializing in couture tailoring and special occasion. With this, I had the honor of designing couture embellishments and gowns working seasons into the future with Fashion Avenue’s most elite houses. I was mentored under some of fashion’s greatest names selling to the couture departments at Neiman’s and Bergdorf’s (to name a few) and attending fashion week shows regularly. The decade of my twenties was meant to cultivate and hone my skills with the needle and thread. Signature to my soul, I found my work in the whimsy of teddy bears in conjunction with the passion of my craft. My teddy bear is a custom piece of pattern making ingenuity standing as my canvas. The crystals, trims, and ornaments are my medium with which I painstakingly sew onto my teddy bear canvas with the same techniques and meticulous skills required in creating a couture evening gown. In this next chapter of my life, my atelier is booming in America’s Caribbean, sunny Miami Beach, where I have reflected on my collective knowledge to create these one of a kind custom couture art sculptures.