Who I am

Thaiana Cruz is a Fashion Designer who graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in May 2013. She has always had an affinity for fashion and to the arts because it is almost a trait inherited by generations in her family. She grew up with a seamstress mother who made most of her clothing growing up and who worked in a manufacturer for children’s wear in the 1980s. Her mother has been one of her motivations to pursue the children’s wear path because she always expressed how exciting it is to design for children. Consequently leading the young designer to winning the Critics Award for Children’s Wear 2013 at FIT! At the FIT she specialized in Children’s Wear because she believes it is a very strong force in our industry and poses many challenges to a designer, which is an aspect she enjoys. As a children’s wear designer she believes one has to attract the parent and the child with one garment while simultaneously serving its purpose aesthetically and in functionality. The most challenging aspect as a children’s wear designer is balancing three objectives; (1) staying true to one’s design aesthetic, (2) making it comply to the industry’s rules and regulations while (3) attracting the mind of the parent and child. It is not an easy task. The best part of designing for children’s wear is simply the gratifying moment when you see these 3 elements come together and you have managed to make the end consumer embrace one’s designs and confident in their buy.

She gets inspired by brands that make clothing fun, coquette and unusual for kids. Unexpected design brands such as Little Marc Jacobs, All Saints Children’s Wear, Zara and Babe and Tess amongst other brands. Zara for example is a vertical company she particularly likes because as a brand they care about their work ethics and have a social commitment at being environmentally conscious while still keeping their product fresh and current. She considers herself to be a very visual designer and it is important for her to stand by her product and be proud of her work. She wants to be challenged and also have room for creativity in the workplace.

What we can do