Fabiola Arias is a women's wear designer who graduated from Parsons in May of 2009. Arias was born in Cuba. At the age of five, after living in Mexico for a year, she and her family left to Miami. Her mother and father were always her biggest inspirations - her mother, a costume designer for film and Spanish soap operas, and her father, a cinematographer and television producer, turned journalist. At five years old Fabiola first discovered John Galliano while watching television, and from then on she knew she wanted to be a designer. Arias studied fine art, specifically painting and sculpture, since she was a small child. At 16, while studying at Design & Architecture Senior High, she debuted her first fashion show during Miami Fashion Week. All Arias fantasized about at the time was to go to Parsons and live in New York, but her mother always told her she had better get a scholarship if she was to go. She eventually did receive a scholarship - a HUGE one.
By the time she had almost graduated from Parsons, Fabiola had interned for Narciso Rodriguez, Esteban Cortazar, and Marc Jacobs, and she knew that what she truly wanted was to have her own business. She didn't want to waste any time, so she researched and found sample makers in the garment center, factories and wholesalers who could work with her on her new collection. Fabiola made all of her samples first, and when she was finished her collection, she organized a list of PR companies and buyers that she wanted to contact. She introduced herself over the phone and told them about her new line. She remembers now how interesting it was to hear how pleasantly surprised they were with such a young person going completely on their own with such a tremendous venture. She set up private appointments and used a friends office spaces during fashion week. Arias' hard work paid off when Ikram Goldman, boutique owner of Ikram in Chicago, bought her first collection, as well as Mayda Cisneros Couture Collection in Coral Gables, Florida.
Fast forward to the present, and Fabiola is currently finalizing the production for her Fall 2010 collection, as well as a Japanese Fall 2010 collection which she's being sponsored for by Shinmai Creators Project and which she will present for Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo March 2010. Arias was already flown to Tokyo in October 2009 to select her fabrics which are also being sponsored by Shinmai. Additionally, Fabiola was invited to do a trunk show at Neiman Marcus, Coral Gables, at the end of 2009. The experience was amazing and the response was incredible. As a result, Fabiola has been invited again to do it in Bal Harbour for February 2010.
Keep an eye out for this amazing Latina fashion designer and her upcoming collections!
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