Photo: Courtesy of The Art Institute of New York City
Beating out more than 100 students at the Art Institute, fashion designer and Mexico City native Yalary Fuentes was able to live out her dream by showing her collection at New York’s Fashion Week.
Born into a family of artists in Mexico, Fuentes began her career in fashion as a young girl by draping blankets over her grandmother at their home and sketching models from magazines. She was inspired by what she saw in her mother’s floral design business, but her creativity manifested itself in the form of fashion.
Two years ago, Fuentes moved from Mexico to New York in the hopes of pursuing her degree and career in fashion. She enrolled at the Art Institute of New York, and ended up fulfilling her dreams to show her collection in the tents at New York Fashion Week.
Her six-piece collection, titled “Queen of Curves,” was inspired by British architect Zaha Hadid who is known for designing museums, sports stadiums and other buildings that feature distinct curves. Her show featured surprising elements such as structured neoprene and plastic. To incorporate the architect’s unique aesthetic into her clothes, Fuentes used circles to create puffiness and curves into her clothes. Hadid’s futuristic design pushed Fuentes to be more avant garde with her clothing.
Her designer role models are big names, such as Alexander McQueen, Iris Van Herpen and Christopher Kane. After her success at showing at Fashion Week, Fuentes hopes to continue her education by pursuing her bachelor’s degree in fashion at the University of the Arts London. For more information on Fuentes and her collection, please visit the Art Institute.
-by Jackie Hart
