Warrior Woman Wednesday: Estrella Sevilla

Estrella learned how to hand-sew and do embroidery at the age of six, flash forward to the present and she is now pursuing her dreams with her atelier. Meet Warrior Woman Wednesday, Estrella Sevilla!

Estrella was born as the second out of three daughters in Culiacán, Sinaloa in México. She grew up in a loving home where her mother mostly took care of the family, and her father worked as a civil engineer with his own construction business. In her childhood, she enjoyed any opportunity to be creative; little did she know she would someday pursue these passions as a career.

“I loved artsy activities and anything creative since I can remember,” Estrella said. “One of my favorite things to do when I was little was to draw dolls with pretty dresses.”

While Estrella loved fashion and looking at clothes, she did not particularly care for shopping. Why? Being a teenage girl at 6’3” made it difficult to shop for her body type.

As young girls, Estrella and her little sister used go to work with their father on a regular basis. Their frequent visits encouraged Estrella to seek a degree in engineering, only to quit a few years later to realize her true desires were to become a fashion designer.

“I was always curious about making clothes that could fit properly and exactly how I imagined,” said Estrella reflecting on her struggles to find the right clothes for her height.

She started her fashion design education in the summer of 2011 with a short course at Central Saint Martins in London, and later obtained a BA in fashion design at the Art Institute of Tucson.

“My mom told me that she always knew I was going to do something related to fashion or a creative feel,” Estrella said. “Both of my parents were very supportive and both of my sisters were excited.”

During her senior year she participated in Tucson Fashion Week (TFW) 2013 ensemble presentation, where she was awarded with the Edith Head Choice award.

After graduating from the Art Institute of Tucson, she was accepted into a post-graduate course in pattern cutting at Central Saint Martins in London. With her new expertise, she presented her first full collection at TFW 2014 and another collection at TFW 2015.

Estrella soon applied for a working visa in the US but did not succeed. She moved to Monterrey, Mexico where she opened an atelier and designed made-to-order garments, most of them evening dresses and some wedding dresses.

“When I am designing or getting an idea, I feel that I disconnect from the world,” Estrella said. “Sometimes I write them down or start sketching, but most of the time I just spend a a long time gathering images and ideas into my head to create a concept.”

Q&A with Estrella Sevilla 
1. What motivates you to succeed? 
When it comes to succeeding in life, my biggest motivation has always been becoming a better person. There is always improvement, many things to learn and kindness to share. Speaking about my profession as a fashion designer, I am motivated by the feeling I can give a client by making something they have been dreaming of.

2. Who inspires you? 
My parents have inspired me the most; I am who I am because of the education and love they gave me. They have taught me to: always follow my dreams and fight for what I believe, and always try to be kind and treat everybody with respect. Careerwise one of my biggest inspiration was Alexander McQueen, his eccentric designs and his unique vision to always create art pieces.

3. Your biggest achievement? 
Making a full collection for TFW 2014 (my first full collection on a runway).



4. Goals for the future? 
I want to keep designing ready to wear collections and have them available online or in a boutique along with other talented local designers.



5. What advice would you give to others? 
Fight for what you believe but only if this doesn’t affect others. Don’t be afraid to be different and unique, some people might not understand you or like you but the ones that do are going to see you for who you are. Lastly, always try to have fun, take a break and enjoy the moment no matter what you are doing.

6. What do you do for fun? 
I love to sew and do crochet, but window-shopping and going to the movies are probably some of my favorite things to do in my free time.

7. Favorite quote or Bible verse? 
“Give me time and I’ll give you a revolution.” -Alexander McQueen