Always Changing Always Creative

Carolina Gomez is a New York Graphic Artist/ Illustrator with a passion for design. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and received her BFA in Illustration. She is well known for her diverse graphic skill-set and creative innovative ideas. She has been creating graphics and prints for the apparel industry for over 14 years. Her work ranges from fun and whimsical to trendy and sophisticated . She’s worked for clients such Target, Sears, Kmart, Kohl’s, and Little Me to name a few.  If you like her work please feel free to contact her for any future collaborations.

What should everyone know about you?
CG: I’m a New York Graphic Artist/Illustrator working in the apparel industry for over 14 years. My style ranges from fun and whimsical to trendy and sophisticated.

How would you describe what you do?
CG: I create prints/graphics/yarn dyes for kids apparel, ranging from playwear, swimwear, sleepwear, outerwear,etc…. basically whatever a kid wears, I’ve designed art for it.

 

Why did you choose to be a designer?
CG: I’ve always had a creative side and I wanted to pursue a career that would allow me to fully express my artistic side.

What steps did you take to become a designer?
CG: From an early age I’ve always had a passion for art, I never really got serious until high school. My HS art teacher saw i had a lot of talent and encouraged me to try out for an art outreach program held at The Cooper Union. I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of their 36 students for weekend art workshops for 2 semesters. Once it was time to apply for college, I knew i wanted a creative career and I ended up getting my BFA in Illustration from F.I.T.

Best/Most Challenging part of your job?
CG: The best part of my job is that it’s always creative, I’m always drawing and creating new art. The challenging part is that I always have to outdo my last design.

If you weren’t a designer what would you be?
CG: Probably a teacher or a physical therapist – I like helping and teaching people.

How did you get started in design?
CG: It was a pure accident on how I ended up in the Fashion Industry. I studied illustration in college and really want to be a children’s book illustrator. After graduation, I didn’t have much luck finding a job in publishing. I saw posting for a t-shirt graphic artist one day and immediately saw a new opportunity to have my art “published”… so one job led to another and the rest is history.

What do you like about what you do?
CG: I always get a thrill seeing strangers on the street wearing my graphics and prints.

What’s a common misconception people have about what you do?
CG: That I can create FREE logos for them since it will only take “10 minutes”. Non-artistic people don’t realize that there is a lot of thought and time dedicated to designing something.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
CG: Retired and drinking mojitos on a beach…just kidding- wishful thinking… hopefully, I’ll be running my own design studio.

What sparked your interest in design?
CG: When I was young I used to love watching all the PBS “how to” art shows, my favorite was Bob Ross painting his landscapes in 30 minutes.

How has your work evolved since you began your career?
CG: I’m always researching different graphic avenues.

The trends are always changing every season, so one has to adapt quickly to change. i remember skulls/rock being a trend for a long time- all i did was draw skulls, now its all about typography… so I love all the new fonts i get to create and play with.

What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
CG: I think social media has really transformed how we think and design, it’s another great outlet to get inspired by.

What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your career?
CG: Trends are always changing, you have to be ahead of the game all the time to have your work stand out in a sea of so many designs.

What advice would you give to young designers?
CG: Don’t be afraid to do the impossible, always challenge yourself and go out your comfort zone every now and then. Don’t feel defeated if someone doesn’t like your work, in this industry, there are a lot of opinions. Work hard and don’t ever burn your bridges.

What would you like to achieve before the end of the year?
CG: I would like to start transitioning from apparel to home goods, I think it’s always good to give yourself a new challenge. So if anyone in home goods is reading this, please feel free to reach out and contact me.

Are you superstitious or do you have any rules you live by?
CG: Everything happens for a reason, life is tough but so am I.

What’s your motto?
CG: The Best is yet to come!

Learn more about Carolina at: styleportfolios.com/carolinagomez / www.linkedin.com

This Designer Profile was originally posted on StylePortfolios.com.  To see more profiles like this OR to create a fashion design portfolio of your own, please visit StylePortfolios.com.