Why did you become a fashion designer?
My family ran a women's boutique featuring custom-made clothing in Covina, California. Sketching clothes came naturally to me growing up and I saw it as a hobby as a child. When I was about eight, I created my first sketch for a client. At nine, I knew how to hand embroider and sew garments.
I also love architecture, so I chose to study it at the University of Washington in Seattle. In my first year I realised I was spending more time drawing dresses, not buildings. It was then that I decided to become a fashion designer, so I moved to New York City to study at Parsons School of Design.
After school you worked at various other brands including Reem Acra and J. Mendel. What did you learn during this time?
I learned so much from those companies. Mainly it was realising that every designer or design house has its own way of doing things and that it's a matter of learning from and working around it. Designing for those fashion houses gave me the ability to explore the craft and develop my skills.
You eventually launched your own brand in 2007. Why did you call it Vicente Villarin?
