Strolling Through SoHo: A Journey into the Worlds of 4 Visionary Designers
Strutting The Streets Of Fifth Avenue and Strolling Through Soho! New York: a place of chic personality. Why not stroll through the city and pick up your favorite pieces? Picture Soho! A neighborhood with trendy boutiques and popular stores. Bloomingdale’s, Wolf & Badger, Dior, Isalis! This is turning out to be the perfect day for you! Throughout the hustle and bustle, there are four designers that you must see! On “Houston Street” is the sophisticated Sintra Martins. On “Canal Street” is the edgy Sophia Firdausi. On “Crosby Street” is the elegant Gyouree Kim. On “Sixth Avenue” is the sweet Sophie Isabella. Take a stroll through Soho and find out their stories!
Sophie Isabella
Fluttering towards this enchanting store, you see fairies waltzing away! Fresh green grass and purple flowers create a dreamy landscape for your imagination. Leading the waltz is Sophie Isabella! A Canadian knitwear designer who has a Tinkerbell’s touch. Her fairylike dreams started in her garden! Growing up, Sophie was constantly examining. She surrounded herself with nature and let it lead the way. “The shape of a flower, a spider web covered in raindrops, a dragonfly’s wings, whatever I can find that sparks inspiration for a look!” Eventually, Sophie attended Istituto Marangoni in Paris. However, just like Tinker Bell, her love for knitwear emerged with curiosity and independence. When COVID hit, classes became asynchronous. This gave her creative freedom. Sophie is fully immersed in knitwear design and her fantastical style! In the end, she created her brand. Like a fairy earning her wings for the first time, her designs and brand capture the enchanting forest of wonder. “Whimsical! I aim to create pieces that feel ethereal, like something out of a dream or a fairytale. Throughout childhood, I spent a lot of time creating fairy dresses from various flowers found in my garden, which in turn inspires my designs today!”
What’s better than a fairy finding her passion? A fairy getting married! On a sparkling lake, glowing lights, and colorful knitted attires. With her Tinker Bell-like curiosity, Sophie thought of this before anyone else. With that, she started tinkering with bridal wear! Her bridal dress draws from the clients’ emotions, dreams, and goals. The dress has a story behind it. Like any piece should! Sophie is the embodiment of fashion. Creating and wearing magical stories! As Tinker Bell would, Sophie strongly believes in following your path. Don’t wear a piece of clothing because it’s trendy! Wear it because you love it! Express yourself to the world the way YOU want to. Oh! Having a Tinker Bell moment.
Let’s start designing that bridal dress. Sophie’s design process is “intuitive and freehand”. She doesn’t use patterns. Going with the flow, she draws inspiration as she creates! “Once I have my materials, I can picture the piece in my mind and begin knitting, letting the design develop naturally.” Sophie Isabella, or should I say Sophie Bell is a fairy in disguise. Passionate about what she does and enchanting the world with it! Waltzing out of the store, let Sophie give you words of pixie wisdom. “Embrace the unexpected! Sometimes the best designs come from mistakes or accidents. When you’re working freehand, it’s better to stay open to where the design might lead you. Also, take time to experiment with textures and yarns that you might not initially think of using together. Playing with contrasts like soft yarns with more structured ones can lead to some really interesting results!”
Gyouree Kim
Open yourself up to a whole new world! Stride into this shop with an international mindset. Sure we’re in New York, but can’t any country have its own Soho? Humming to Beethoven, you see Gyouree Kim sewing away! Gather around, envision Buckingham Palace or the N Seoul Tower, and hear Gyouree’s global sensation story. Gyouree Kim, a South Korean born and raised, had big dreams of becoming a fashion designer. So, she took a one-way ticket to London. With the bright lights of a foreign country, Gyouree was determined to take her dreams to a whole new level. Attending Central Saint Martins and Royal College of Art, was hard work after hard work. She worked in restaurants, schools, and small fashion brands, and even sewed for students. Although it was tiring, fashion was still her love and life. “It's a form of art. It is an excitement. It has a strong energy that brings confidence and happiness.” After graduation, she honed her talents and worked in England for two more years. During this time, her creativity only grew more. With the world in her hands, she picked up the phone in the iconic red telephone box. Who’s the caller? It’s South Korea! It’s saying “Come home!” With that, Gyouree packed her bags and became a one-woman business in her new home city: Seoul, South Korea!
A one-woman show, Gyouree would describe her designs as “romantic, timeless, one of a kind intricate semi-couture”. With a worldwide perspective, she constantly creates. Gyouree never stops! For her, once she creates a piece, it sparks ideas for another piece. Think of it like this; I
made this wonderful hat. Oh! This cosmopolitan skirt would fit snuggly with it! Let me sketch! With every piece she creates, it is meant to be timeless. A classic! Never will it go out of trend or will people get sick of it. Society, nowadays, sees a piece, likes it, then hates it. Everyone is trying to be the clothing of the month. With Gyouree, her pieces can last a lifetime. When she creates these pieces, Gyouree doesn’t pick a single tradition. “I don't stick to one process. Sometimes I will start with pattern making, with textile making, sometimes with sketching, and sometimes with draping. I love my process of being spontaneous, the starting methods depend on each design and mood.” Shaking the game and globe up, Gyouree is a lasting gem! Before you fly out of her multinational store, Gyouree would like to give you tips before you travel to the realm of design! “Keep making! Keep designing! I work on a few designs at once, touch a little bit on one design, move to another one, and come back to the first one! There is no rule in order!” Open up your mind! Don’t stick yourself into one box. Travel to different countries and take inspiration from those walking the streets. Like Gyouree, you can succeed in this big world!
Sintra Martins
Step inside the store and take in the unique space. In the middle of the room is a light pink book. You pick it up and it’s labeled “Sintra’s Diary”. Enticing, right? Open it up and dive into the fabulous life of Sintra. Meet the owner of the diary: Los Angeles-born Sintra Martins!
Sintra wasn’t always a fashion guru. In the beginning, she majored in classical music. Sintra soon realized that it was tough to create a career from that. “It’s like being an athlete”. That made her start thinking of other life paths. No matter where she pondered, all roads ended in fashion. Growing up, Sintra was constantly shopping. “I'm always trying to find the coolest pieces”. So, she shifted towards fashion and design. With that, she attended The New School. Combining liberal arts and design majors, Sintra did the best of both worlds. The New School gave her caring professors who provided unique opportunities. An opportunity like Thom Browne. Mentors in her internship enhanced her belief in herself. After her internship, COVID hit, and no company was hiring. She thought, “If no one is hiring, why don’t I create my job? My own personal and unique brand.” That’s exactly what she did. Saint Sintra was created. Since her journey from then to now, her pieces have been worn by influencer Emma Chamberlain, Spanish singer Rosalía, actress Sydney Sweeney, supermodel Bella Hadid, and pop star Olivia Rodrigo. However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Sintra had many challenges but never gave up. That is what makes her so successful in her career. Perseverance and belief in herself.
Now that you know her rise to fashion; how does she create her pieces? Well, it starts with a collection. At a young age, Sintra collected fabrics in every nook and cranny. That never stopped. With all this fabric in her possession, Sintra could produce bulk with them. Deadstock textiles are heavily emphasized in her design process. What are deadstock textiles? Deadstock textiles are unused garments/fabrics that are left over by production. Sintra takes the unloved fabrics and creates a one-of-a-kind piece. They are woven into beautiful modern office-day looks and exclusive attires. So, there you have it. A classic music major to a successful designer pipeline! Before you close the diary and sashay out of the store, Sintra wrote a little note just for you! “I noticed I tend to be slow with trends and new pieces, but unfamiliar means new. Creating something new will not be comfortable. Always chase that and make sure to incorporate your audience into the mix! Use an ingredient to break into a refreshing perspective!”
Sophia Firdausi
Feeling the rockstar mood? Let’s head on to Sophia Firdausi’s shop! Edgy and fierce, she’s welcoming you with a little bit of spunk. Who is Sophia Firdausi? Sophia is a college student who was raised by a single immigrant dad. With her courageous background, her main life goals are promoting equity, sustainability, and education. Like every rock chick, she felt alienated in high school. From a creative standpoint, everyone was the same. Where was the diversity, expression, and open-mindedness? Sophia didn’t think it was right. She wanted to create an outlet for herself and others where they could be uniquely themselves. With a revolution, Sophia created her first art magazine, which grew into a community-based media company. She called it Riot Productions. With two words, she would describe it as “meaningful and creative”. Adding fashion to the magazine was a main goal for Sophia. Fast fashion has taken over our lives. At a time like this, it is crucial to create quality over quantity. There’s so much waste and trash in this world. We can do so much with it. Ripped jeans can have the edgiest patch over them. Repurposing is important! Her urge to make and spread meaning to fashion is loud!
While she creates, she thinks of different eras. What would Tina Turner wear? Would Mick Jagger rock out to a leather jacket? When she finds her inspiration; it's time to sketch! Screen printing is a part of this process. I know what you’re thinking. What is screen printing? Well, it’s a process where the ink is forced through a mesh screen. Think of it as an “analog ink printing process”. It’s lengthy and experimental but worth it. Isn’t that such a rock singer thing? Having fun and changing the world with one design at a time. Sophia is the true definition of a rockstar. Someone who uses her ideas and pushes societal standards. Take her words and transform yourself into a cool individual. “When designing anything, I would strongly suggest creating several drafts because it can help you come up with new ideas or combinations of ideas that you never would have thought of. Practice makes perfect! Never be intimidated by a seemingly difficult art or design process because you can do anything you put your mind to.” When you strut out of the store, listen to the electric guitar, and break societal rules. Let’s Rock! Let’s Riot! Let’s Riot Productions!
That’s it! You’ve reached the end of Soho! Feeling light as a feather. You’ve learned about these incredible designers’ stories. Now! It’s time to make your masterpiece! Whether that’s stepping out of your comfort zone like Sintra Martins, rocking out like Sophia Firdausi, traveling the world like Gyouree Kim, or entering Pixie Hollow like Sophie Isabella; take their words and make your change in the fashion world. Thanks for Strolling Through Soho!
Strolling Away,
Vy Vo
Collage Cover: Created by the magnificent Abbey Chase! Bringing fashion to the digital scene, she’s truly one of a kind.
