We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jazmin Ayala a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jazmin, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I first learned how to sew in high school. My dad taught me how to work a home sewing machine and from there, I began as a self-taught seamstress and designer. I also attended the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP camp in 2016 led by Project Runway’s, Tessa Clark (season 17). Throughout this week long camp, I was able to learn the basics of sewing and patternmaking. This experience definitely sped up my learning process as a designer and my knowledge of patternmaking became essential and useful towards my own personal projects.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am an indigenous Colombian-American designer born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. As a child, one of my major influences in fashion was Project Runway and soon enough I started my journey as a self-taught designer with my father teaching me how to use a sewing machine. In high school, I had the opportunity to attend a fashion design camp at the University of Cincinnati, which helped me grow as a creative and build my portfolio throughout high school. I now attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City to pursue a degree in fashion design. I sought out to create my womenswear brand, Fashion by Ayala, after completing my first year at FIT. Since then, I have been named the winner of the 2019 Kansas City Designer Challenge held at Oak Park Mall where my designs were placed on display. Fashion by Ayala has also been featured on the runway in Kansas City Fashion Week and Jersey City Fashion Forward.
Today, Fashion by Ayala is a sustainable, slow-fashion brand that creates custom made-to-order garments and also experiments with upcycling, patchworking, and color blocking.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, one of my goals is to tackle the waste issue that is prominent within the fashion industry. Since entering the industry, I have learned that fast fashion companies overproduce products by 40% and produces 17 million tons of waste each year. Because of this, the average life span of a garment is between 1 to 3 years! As a designer, I believe it is not only my job to invent new creative ways to reuse, recycle, and upcycle but also to implement sustainable approaches in my work. Another one of my goals is to create a brand that advocates for inclusion and representation. One of my main influences behind my work is my identity as a Latina, and I aspire to express the love I have for my culture with my Latinx community. My goal is to share our stories, our talents, and to serve as a voice for my community.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is having the opportunity to create and experience the entire creative process. What starts off as an idea becomes a sketch, and a sketch will turn into something that you can touch, feel, and wear. I always feel rewarded seeing happy clients who wear my products and support my work. My garments always carry a piece of me and I find comfort in knowing they have a happy home.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fashionbyayala/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jzmnayala/

Image Credits
credits: Photo By Ayala