Today we’d like to introduce you to Karina Cavazos.
Hi Karina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a kid I have always been interested in making clothing. I taught myself how to hand sew at age 6, and I often found myself cutting up my sister’s leggings and my parent’s bed sheets to make dresses and skirts for my dolls. I joined clubs in elementary that taught me how to crochet, in middle school I took a Home Economics class that taught me how to use a sewing machine, and in highschool I realized that I can turn my love for sewing into a career. I participated in fashion design class for 3 years and did so much research on how I can work in the fashion industry. I worked at a bridal shop doing wedding dress alterations for almost a year during highschool, and I switched to a denim tailor shop for 3 years. I’ve since graduated as Valedictorian from Wade College, and I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Fashion Design and Product Development. I worked full time throughout my college career to afford college and graduate debt free. I was also the first generation in my family to graduate from college. My parents are Mexican immigrants who came to the US for new opportunities back in the early 2000’s. My brand name, Cavalonso, is a mixture of my two last names in tribute to them. Knowing all of their sacrifices have only pushed me to work harder into my career and I’ve been solely focused on one thing: my passion. As an arts major, it was challenging to start as my family were not immediately supportive in my decision, as there is a stigma to art majors barely making a living. I want to break that stigma and show that success doesn’t always mean earning lots of money. I had to pave my own way, learning how to network and meet the right people so that I can join different runways such as Dallas Fashion Week. In February, I had the opportunity to showcase my work to a larger audience, New York Fashion Week. As of today, I have since quit my day job to solely focus on building up my brand. I want to continue working and growing on my brand. I want to empower women through my clothing, and bring out their inner feminine energy through my garments. I work remotely and I wish to open up my own studio some day.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Explaining my career choice to my parents was difficult. Not only did they not understand how I can afford to make a living with a fashion degree, but they did not know how to guide me. I come from a family who is mostly involved in STEM. I could’ve easily become an engineer or an accountant and could’ve had the help from my family. I did not choose the easy way out, I decided to stick to my passion and work diligently to make a profit.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in women’s wear, which includes: bridal, special occasion, and business wear. I have recently experimented with menswear, with my current Bridal Collection I debuted at New York Fashion Week. I have over 10 years of sewing experience, and 5 years of professional experience. I extend my services for alterations as well, by doing simple pant hemming, dress alterations, denim repairs, and more. I believe that since I have started young, I have a lot of room to grow: but I also have lots of different kinds of experience. One of my proudest moments was while I was working as a denim tailor, I made a display jacket that caught the attention of the mall manager’s eye. A few days later, I saw that my jacket was showcased on WFAA. Although I did not receive any credits (the store did) I am still proud of my work and I hope that one day I can be featured and recognized with my own brand, Cavalonso.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I believe that because I was very sure about my career choice at an early age, I was able to do so much research about my dream career. I cannot remember a time where I did not want to be a fashion designer. I begged my parents for fashion designer sketch books, I would cut up my T shirts with fun designs, and so much more. Without my career, I fear I would be nothing. I wouldn’t have any goals or aspirations to be anything else.
Pricing:
- Pant Hem- starts at $15
- Dress Alterations- starts at $30
- Denim repairs- starts at $10
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cavalonso?igsh=MTd3ZDZscGVzcmFw&utm_source=qr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karina-cavazos?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cavalonso?_t=ZT-8vNXCTHE7pr&_r=1
