Get to know: Nasheli Ortiz
What is your hometown? Where have you lived?
My hometown is Caguas, Puerto Rico. I have lived in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Savannah, Ga.
What is your professional experience?
I’ve been in charge of draping, pattern-making and technical design for many designers in the Dominican Republic, Italy, Puerto Rico and the United States. And for the last six years I’ve worked as a Fashion Design, Illustration and Digital Design professor for undergraduate students in Puerto Rico.
When did you decide to pursue a career in fashion?
As early as I can remember I was always making clothes for my Barbie dolls. My mom practically forced me into a specialized school at thirteen years old and there I graduated with a technical degree in Apparel Design. The rest is history…
What inspires you creatively? Professionally?
Anything can be a source of inspiration for fashion, from the way light is reflected to Santiago Calatrava’s buildings, but my favorite has always been architecture.
What are some of the most pressing issues facing today’s fashion designers? Models? Accessory designers?
I think many designers are forgetting the very reason our profession exists, which is to dress human beings. They’re trying to experiment without taking practicality into account. Creativity should always be functional, until the designer can reach Roberto Capucci’s level and have their work shown in a museum. Creating, dressing, and selling should be our priority.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
I hope to be working at a design house and creating my own technical design company.
Do you have any advise for future SCAD fashion designers or those who are preparing to enter the industry?
Discipline is the key to success and no excuses are valid in the field of design.
How would you categorize your aesthetic?
Structured, clean, and streamlined.
Who would be your dream designer to work alongside?
Ralph Rucci
When you think about the future of fashion, what do you see?
Right now the world is in chaos and that’s reflected on the runways, where I see designs that are hard to stomach visually. I think we’ll go back to the basic principles of design, black and white, and minimalism.
