“Riachuelos” is a sustainable fashion collection that examines the potential of human achievement through a water-powered lens, applying concepts of hydrology as an analogy for social anthropology. Such as drops of water fuse into pulsating, flowing rivers that empty into the ocean, so too can people unite to create massive waves of positive change in our increasingly globalized, yet agonizing, planet.
Each look in the collection is inspired by a different body of water from around the globe and meticulously handcrafted from textile scraps, vintage fabrics, and other discarded material.
A highlight of only a few projects made using custom design/fit, sustainable practices, or both. The first page, a menswear outfit, was made for my father. It was inspired by his personal story of overcoming extreme poverty, and his consequent years spent touring the world as a professional musician. The second page features two bridal projects: the first, a dress made for my mother as she and my father celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary; the second, a bridal dress created for a class project, upcycled from two used wedding gowns. The third page features a couture evening gown entirely upcycled from the same two wedding gowns and countless scraps of fabric.
A mini-collection designed to ease the daily routine of dressing for teens with Down Syndrome and their caretakers. For this project, I took inspiration from Julian, a young man with Down Syndrome who attends music lessons with my father. I conducted an interview with his mother to identify his clothing preferences and needs.
Two seemingly opposite worlds collided through Tatum Robotics's partnership with MassArt, in which students were tasked with designing a custom glove for the Tatum T1. My team's success with this project led to the robotics company contacting me directly to continue the partnership with glove re-designs for the Tatum T1's updated geometry.
MassArt's Sustainable Fashion course allowed me the opportunity to blend my design sensibility with the Eileen Fisher aesthetic to recreate three used EF garments with zero-waste techniques. The final design was displayed in the Eileen Fisher store in Chestnut Hill, Boston, MA.