Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Juliana Heredia. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Juliana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

Recently, I ended my 10-month internship at Ulla Johnson in New York City. I wasn’t supposed to take that internship because I had already flight tickets bought to go back to my home country. – but within two weeks I had an interview with my future manager who offered me the internship and the next week I was moving all the way to New York City on my own and three suitcases(carrying 4 years of college life). But before accepting it, I had to think about what to do because it was either taking a risk or following the original plan. However, as a girl who came all the way from Brazil to pursue a dream of becoming a fashion designer, I couldn’t just ignore the fact that a fashion job in NYC is exactly what every fashion person dreamed about and that could be the only chance that I would have to experience something like that in my life. So, although I had everything planned to go back to my homeland – I postponed it and figure out housing, flight tickets, documentation, etc in one week and the following Monday I was already working in the office located in Soho. I am thankful to Ulla Johnson because I learned so much every day by participating and assisting in creative decisions. For these last 10 months, I learned what it takes to be a talented and decisive fashion designer. It taught me to be confident and more independent as I started from zero – with only two friends, not knowing where the fabrics/material shops were, the industry standards, and adapting to the fast-paced life in the city. I learned that sometimes we do have to take risks because “what ifs” are worse and humans are extremely adaptable. I owe who I am today as a designer and human to that offer my manager at Ulla did back in August 2022.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My fashion career started before I even realized it. Since I was 10, I would sketch and resketch ideas of clothes I would like to wear or what people would dress for a red carpet. Then, going to fashion school opened new possibilities for me as I learned how the industry works and could envision my place in it. I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in Fashion design, and as I graduated I had internships in New York City with Models.com in styling and Ulla Johnson in design. I was also entitled Generation Next Innovator by Teen Vogue due to my thesis collection which was an upcycled denim line. Today, I am working as a freelance designer, creating unique streetwear clothes/accessories with a slow fashion mentality. I also work with print design and fashion illustration.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

As a creative, nothing is exact, like in mathematics where 2+2 will equal 4. The creative field is very much based on feeling, what is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and that is very subjective. I remember when I was still in college when I would explain certain projects to family and friends who are in more traditional careers and they would not understand why I was “taking so long” to finish it. As creatives, we know how important pauses are when you are working on something for long hours. I always like revisiting projects the following day because with a clear mind, you can see the places for improvements, and non-creatives might think it is pretty much done. Of course, at a certain point, artists have to call the project done due to deadlines, projects stacking up, or the client is happy with it as is – but every artist thinks about something to improve even when the project is officially done.

Also, learning when to stop is a skill you learn with time. Young artists might have a harder time knowing when to stop because generally, they are putting too much pressure on themselves to be perfect, and every little detail counts. I was like this when I started college – always trying to prove to myself I could be a great artist. With time, you realize that even the most experienced designer still makes mistakes, but the difference is that they embrace mistakes – so if in their art 2+2 equals 3 but it feels right to what they are creating, then it is right.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I believe there are multiple aspects of why someone would become an artist, not only one. Necessity, recognition, making people happy, telling a story, creating as a form of therapy, etc are a few reasons someone would become an artist. As a fashion designer, I believe the most rewarding aspect is making people feel confident and happy in their skin. Clothes have power – they can bring someone down by wearing something they dislike or elevate their confidence as they feel comfortable and beautiful. I think having the power to create something that will boost happiness in a person is unparalleled because you are creating a connection with your wearer. And it starts with the first contact you have with your client and it builds up through time. Clothes are linked to certain moments in people’s life and they accompanied their wearer through certain life cycles – that is the reason why is so important to feel comfortable and confident for the good and bad moments. As designers, we have to acknowledge that our creations, which are extensions of who we are, will be part of other people’s stories. We do have a direct impact on people’s lives so it’s important that our work can at least bring a little joy to them.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://julianaheredia.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianaheredia_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliana-heredia-/

Image Credits
Photographers: Alice Winter; Snigdha Gopidi Models: Natasha Matalanga, Eli Taylor. Felisha Rose, Adam Shimberg, Faith McCurdi, Luana Paiva, Madi Lerner