Born and raised in Southern California, I grew up singing, dancing and acting in local community theatre. I was always drawn to the world behind the scenes, which lead me to study Costume Design for the Theatre at California State University Fullerton. Upon earning my Bachelor’s Degree, I moved to New York City to study fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and that is when my company, IRISHLATINA, was born.
While at school, I was chosen to compete in the annual FUSION runway show; a competition between Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, two of the nations top design schools. Since graduating, I have qualified for the top 50 in the MUUSE X Vogue Talents Young Vision Award Competition. I have been featured in the Steve Madden blog series “On Our Radar”. I have been selected to participate in 3 charity fashion shows for Sisters On The Runway which raises money for Safe Horizon. And I have had my clothing photographed for several fashion publications including Ellements Magazine.
This summer, I was chosen to present my Spring/Summer collection at Los Angeles Fashion Week on October 1st, 2016. My collection is called “WASTE NOT”. The entire collection is made from secondhand clothing I have purchased from the thrift store. The designs and silhouettes are my originals, but by using secondhand clothing for fabric, I am reducing some of the negative impact the fashion industry has on our environment and on humanity.