We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lorenzo Torres. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lorenzo below.

Lorenzo, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

At the time when I finally made the decision to immerse myself into the world of Fashion Design I had absolutely no understanding beyond the basics of minor sewing and mending and knew how desperately I wanted a change from my career at the Police Department. After finding the right program I decided to enroll in a BFA program and pursue my second degree in Fashion Design. One of the decisions I am glad I made at the time was to resign from my law enforcement job and fully engage in my studies. I believe what is so essential to learning a new skill, process, or application is to realize you don’t have all the answers and when you simply become a sponge, then you can soak in all of that which is being presented to you. I needed to detach myself from a path that was taking me further away from who I innately was as an adolescent, creative, expressive, imaginative and innovative.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Throughout my program in the process of obtaining my BFA we as students were given such ample opportunities to volunteer behind the scenes at major runway shows, fashion events, engage as assistants, and develop the skill sets needed to succeed in such a fast paced industry. Since I loved the fantasy, opulence and grandeur of it all I naturally gravitated towards high fashion one of kind pieces or setting the stage in theatre and costume design. While attending art school I worked full time for fashion brand of Michael Kors as a Shop Manager which gave me a complete insiders knowledge of what we studied in the classroom and real world application while at work. But that role didn’t just fall into my lap, I had to work from the bottom up as they say, since I lacked retail experience I started in an entry level role as stock room clerk. As I developed my career in fashion and retail I quickly realized how much waste is generated within the industry in order to appeal to consumers season after season by creating this idea of newness through aspirational product design and story telling. My mission is to really focus on the quality of the items I make, the ability to upcycle textiles utilized, and use what currently exists by giving it a second chance or purchasing deadstock fabric instead of adding to the landfill. What I am learning about myself in the process of being a sustainable and eco- friendly designer is that I have a need to share stories of hope, change and highlight cultural visionaries through my emerging textile art.

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

Telling the stories of marginalized brown and black people, immigrants, queer represenation and those of the diaspora who shifted the conversation, challenged the status quo, and were resilient in the face of opposition.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Self-expression! I can have a concept in my head that words fail to fully describe but when textiles and color are added it completely reveals a mood, behavior, theme, and conveys the message I intended to share. It’s like taking a ball of kinetic energy swirling around internally and blasting it out into the atmosphere as it unveils it’s beauty and splendor.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @b.schmatta
• Twitter: @KnotYourBubbesSchmatta