We recently had the chance to connect with Karina Cavazos and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Karina, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
Deciding to become a fashion designer with my own brand has several challenges and often people believe it’s a glamorous life. I am working hard towards building my own clothing brand and often times it means working for free. I’ve also had to find my own clients rather than wait for them to approach me so that means I’ve had to attend several networking events, attend local fashion shows, be active on social media, and create ads on social media. I have thankfully had several help along the way from photographers wanting to work with me, and my good friend Stephanie Cruz has been guiding me through the world of social media marketing.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Karina Cavazos and I am a Dallas-Based fashion designer. My fashion brand is called Cavalonso, which is a mixture of my both last names given to me by both of my Mexican parents. Through my brand, I want to empower women and bring their inner feminine energy through powerful tailoring, and delicate lace trims. I love using small details to adorn a design whether it’s ribbons, bows, buttons, and beading. I am in love with cottage core aesthetics and I am currently working on a new collection that mixes my Mexican heritage and my love for girly fashion. My pieces are almost always inspired by Disney princesses or rococo fashion and I enjoy layering my pieces. As a daughter of immigrants, I want to share just a little bit of my culture through my designs and show what my dream closet looks like if I had the chance to grow in Mexico.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Growing up, I was always interested in the fashion world. Typically children would get in trouble for writing and drawing on the walls, and I would be in trouble for cutting up my sister’s leggings to make clothes for my dolls. My mom told me that at the early age of 6 years old she caught me hand sewing a dress to my Barbie’s with her sewing kit. She was amazed as she had never taught me how to handsew so it came as a shock. When I attended elementary school, I took some sewing and knitting classes that only confirmed my love for my fashion. From then on I’ve continued to sew and my mom would be supportive in my journey to find my way into the fashion industry.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I’ve always been afraid of my parents legal status. Growing up I was always involved reminded by my parents that I had to be very careful about my life choices whether it was going to a friends house, staying after school, and even what college I wanted to go to. Ultimately, I decided to go to a college near home to avoid having to spend lots of money and run less of a risk of my parents getting in trouble. I always tried my best to be a good student in order to keep my parents around. As the eldest daughter, I would feel internal pressure to be perfect and make them proud. I would also make sure to be away from bad influences since I was afraid that one wrong move I made, I could lose them. As a result, I feel like I could’ve done much more. I was restricted for not traveling far because I knew they couldn’t help me. I was restricted in not spending money on fun stuff because we might need the money for a lawyer in the future. And I also felt misunderstood by them, as what I did wasn’t enough. Now that my parents are doing much better and have the opportunity to go back to the motherland, I feel much at peace within myself and I can’t wait to see how many doors open after this new milestone.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Not everyone lives the glamorous life. I’ve heard that people who spend thousands of dollars for the “luxury lifestyle” end up in debt with several maxed out cards, repoed cars, and no money left for emergencies. When I first started getting involved in the fashion industry, I felt like a small fish in a big pond because I felt like the one person that couldn’t fit in financially. I saw several people wearing brand names and smelling very expensive. I wanted to be like them and I realized that it was all fake. People rent out luxury cars for the day, they thrift their clothes, and even go to the mall to try on new perfumes. I am more than happy now to attend these events as true as myself, because I am not intimidated anymore. I am not ashamed because I’m not as financially stable as the people who attend, and I will never try to appear as if I am. I want to keep it real and not make people feel intimidated by me. I am humble and I believe that staying true to oneself speaks louder than words could ever describe. Everyone starts from somewhere and unfortunately there are several people who love to make people feel beneath them, so creating a fashion community that’s inclusive is very important to me. The clothing brand doesn’t make the person, it’s the person that makes the clothing look good.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope that people can remember me by my fun and colorful fashion taste. I grew up watching Disney princesses and Barbie movies, and I really loved watching the details in those dresses. I want my aesthetic to be recognized as something that Cavalonso would design. I want to show that being feminine is nothing to be ashamed of; especially those who are working in male dominated fields. I want to bring out a women’s inner princess come to life in the most elegant way possible.
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
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C32jZRrxB/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cavalonso?_t=ZT-8yE1Z7XRjaA&_r=1
