Lemaris Lorenzo has been working in the fashion industry for more than10 years. She started off when she launched her brand and opened her first atelier in Puerto Rico- where she was born and raised. She had also started a RTW line that she was selling around the island. After about 3-4 years, she decided to move to NYC, to expand her knowledge and experiences. She started studying 'Apparel' at FIT, later getting an internship with the CFDA. Lemaris worked as a fashion assistant to Katie Ermelio, who tasked her with checking the samples for Barney’s New York and Moda Oparandi. At the same time she was a visual designer for Mood Fabrics, where she was able to work with Project Runway. After years in NYC, she got a position in Visual Merchandising for Banana Republic.
Since then, Lemaris decided to relocate to Paris for another step forward in her career, as well as to emerge herself in more of the artistic and couture fields. She decided to earn her Masters in Fashion Design at IFA Paris. After years of working in the industry, Lemaris started to plan to relaunch her brand again- which became her capstone collection.
Q. Where do you get your inspiration from?
A. “Without sounding cliché- everywhere.. mostly art, the renaissance and contemporary art fields. I love to visit museums and meet artists to exchange ideas and I find inspiration there."
Q. If you could describe your work in 3 words, what would they be?
A. “Romantic. Contemporary. Timeless. “
Q. What was your motivation for this collection?
A. “Puerto Rico.. I was far from the island, and to be far I wanted to know a bit better what was my roots. And Bomba, an Afro-Puerto Rican dance that has been around for centuries.. we don’t talk about it so much at home, it's not a main dance in the contemporary culture, so that’s why I decided to get more deep about it."
Q. What was your favorite piece from the show and why?
A. “Honestly, I love all but I think my favorite piece was the set with the blouse and the pants.. the navy one. Because it’s a simple piece that can be worn in different ways, like you can use the blouse with other items. But at the same time y ou can feel the essence and energy and it can look artistic but be wearable, so it has many functions in one”
Q. What message do you want people to get from your designs/clothing?
A. “That to create a collection is to be inspiring something, you have to go deep.. you have to be very sure of yourself and who you are as a designer. I think every collection has to inspire yourself and others about who you are and who you want to be. It’s quite like a challenge, which is why it’s more than taking an inspiration. Also to take risks.”
Q. Where do you see yourself after this program?
A. “Well for now, I see myself working on my online store, that I launched on the same day as the show. I also want to challenge myself as a professional and I’m working for my brand very hard right now. I see myself making consults about what is fashion and how can we work in the lifestyle of fashion and industry- how can we develop fashion in a better way, and more into sustainability and going into the future.”
Q. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A. “I suppose I want to get more into a niche market, like my brand. I hope my RTW line is NewYork and Paris, and more stable and trying to move onto being in stores.”
Q. Is there anything else you would like to add- such as a quote that represents you, or a comment?
A. “Honestly, I think everything is very possible- I came from a small town in PR and worked so hard, that’s why all my achievements I have is because I had an open and positive mind that brought me here and you have to believe in you.. that’s the best quote I can say. because I'm apart of that.”
If you would like to see more from Lemaris Lorenzo, you can check out her out on:
Instagram: @lemloren
Comments