We Humans

Conversation With Sophia Loren  

An Interview with a Fashion Design Graduate, Sophia Loren

26 April 2024

I: Could you share some personal background about yourself? Where are you from, what's your cultural heritage, and what initially drew you to the world of fashion? 

SL: I am Filipino, born in Manila, Philippines. My family and I moved to the UK when I was five years old. Ever since I was a child, I always had a love for art and being creative. It wasn’t until year 9 of high school I realised the form of creativity that I love is fashion. I loved the design and making aspect of it, and pursuing it at university was something I was keen on.  

I: In just a few words, how would you encapsulate your design aesthetic? What key elements or themes define your style?  

SL: My design aesthetic is colourful, on-trend and feminine. When designing, I always look for what is trending and how I can incorporate it into my style. 

I: Which figures or movements in the fashion world have had the most profound impact on your work? How have they influenced your creative process and vision?  

SL: The very first designer that inspired me to do design was Paul Vasileff founder of the brand Paoblo Sebastian his designs and garments are incredibly detailed and ethereal it is just breathtaking to look at and I always think about how I wanna be able to have talent like that which influenced me to learn and pursue design. A brand that is currently been a main inspiration when creating designs for me has been VETEMENTS their oversized, masculine and strong silhouette in their recent collection are so on trend and unique it’s helped me take inspiration from them 

Image: Odyssey of the Rich-hearted Poor

I: For aspiring fashion designers, what advice or wisdom would you offer? What lessons

have you learned along your journey that you wish you'd known when starting out?

SL: I would say design is hard and frustrating but always take it slow when creating patterns and toiles so that you don’t make any mistake. Also to be thorough in your research and inspiration making sure there is a clear connection through out your whole collection. A lesson I have personally learnt through my time in design is the end result is always worth it no matter how much of a struggle the journey process of constructing is, it’s easy to give up but having a strong discipline will make your final design/collection even stronger. 

Credit: Writing Ieva Bark

Image Credit: Sophia Loren

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Instagram - @Sophialoren.studio