Craft

I am a Apparel and Technical Designer, with an eye for design innovation and garment perfection. I am from the Philadelphia suburb of Camden, NJ. I’ve worked for brands such as Azzuré Denim, Ralph Lauren, Fila and client Rutgers University. Although my skill set is vast, my expertise revolves in the worlds of CAD design, Trend spotting, and Garment Construction. My passion is to combine my proficiency and experience in these areas, to deliver the best designs to my employer and clients. I love to travel and have been to 16 countries in 5 continents. My go to food is oatmeal and I love breakfast!

What should everyone know about you?
AS: I’m a go getter and passionate creative. I value the business of fashion as well as it’s artistic purpose in this world. I believe in brand integrity, and most importantly, doing what you love and loving what you do, in style.

How would you describe what you do?
AS: I am an Apparel and Technical Designer. I design clothing and also work on its construction. I am the engineer and liaison between design and production. While I create the mood of a garment I am putting together it’s bells and whistles. From the initial sketch to the final product, I’m all in.

Why did you choose to be a designer?
AS: I initially chose to be a designer to change society’s view of traditional menswear. As a kid I thought it would be amazing to see the color pink worn on a man just as normal as the color black. Designing eventually became a way for me to express myself, and see positivity in life.

What steps did you take to become a designer?
AS: As a teenager, I designed ready to wear clothing, prom dresses, shoes and accessories for local clients. To expand my knowledge of fashion and take my career further, I moved to Virginia and studied Fashion Design at an HBCU, Norfolk State University. It was there that I learned the business and psychology of fashion.  After I studied hard, did a lot of research and worked countless hours at my internship, I moved to NYC to seal the deal on my career as a designer.

Best/Most Challenging part of your job?
AS: The Best/Most challenging part of my job is being a designer on the creative and technical side. I get to see the entire process of making a garment come to life. It’s a great feeling to design a garment with different fabrications and trims. And a challenging, but even better feeling to know that I can thread it all together. I love every bit of it.

If you weren’t a designer what would you be?
AS: If I weren’t a designer I would definitely be a Tailor or Fashion Stylist.

How did you get started in design?
AS: I got started in design as a kid by sketching different outfits that I wanted to wear. I would Tie Dye clothing and sew my designs on my free time. After high school, I began making ready to wear clothing for my university’s annual fashion show; which led to a meeting with Ruben Campos, then owner and Head Designer of Azzuré Denim. During junior year, after finishing up my fashion design program, I was offered an internship which led to a full time Assistant Designer position at Azzuré. Ruben eventually became one of my fashion mentors and is who told me to see Technical Design as a part of my craft.

What do you like about what you do?
AS: I like that I can be creative and see my art worn daily by people of all walks of life.

What’s a common misconception people have about what you do?
AS: A common misconception people have about what I do is that I shop all day, travel the world, spend most of my time getting dressed to attend parties and of course, Fashion Week!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
AS: In 10 Years I see myself running a successful clothing brand. And helping younger designers develop their careers and learn the business of fashion.

What sparked your interest in design?
AS: What sparked my interest in design was the ability to be versatile with art. With design you can take something as complex as the grain of a wooden coffee table and pair it with the color of a leaf you’ve seen in Central Park and sketch a print for a T-Shirt or even the fabric for a Jacket.

How has your work evolved since you began your career?
AS: My work has become more free, and nonconforming to a specific tradition of art.

Are there any types of clothing/footwear/accessories that you avoid wearing?
AS: No, I love it all.

What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
AS: I’m infatuated with traveling. And fascinated with the trinkets I find of different cultures, to the many parts of the ocean I see.

What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your career?
AS: The biggest lesson I’ve learned since I started my career was learning when not to be impulsive, saying hello to patience and goodbye to indecisiveness.

What advice would you give to young designers?
AS: Study your craft, don’t be afraid to fail, and chase your dreams. Be patient and live for today.

What would you like to achieve before the end of the year?
AS: I would like to travel to Bali and design a line inspired by it.

Are you superstitious or do you have any rules you live by?
AS: While I am superstitious, I try to live life as free as possible. I feel that worrying about what you cannot control can hinder you from focusing on things you can do.

What’s your motto?
AS: Life’s a struggle… Staying fresh is a must. -TrHust™

Other (feel free to tell the readers anything about you that we didn’t ask)
AS: One night, 9 months after graduating college and recently unemployed from my first freelance industry job; I decided to chase my dream and apply for a design position with one of my favorite designers, Ralph Lauren. Days later I received an email inviting me to an interview in NYC. I was then offered an Assistant Technical Designer position. I never thought in a million years that I would be designing for him. The experience was so surreal and has since been one of the best memories of my life and career.

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