by daniella yepes
Lola Somera is a senior Textiles and Apparels major at UT Austin. “Design has been a part of who I am since I was five,” said Somera. Her parents both being creatives, her mother a chef and her father an architect, she was surrounded by creative pursuits that ultimately helped to shape who she is today.
Somera’s collection is an ode to her love of the Philippines. She wants to focus on the celebration of immigrants coming to the U.S, and so her process began with more of a search on the background of the Philippines. She began by creating a moodboard of traditional Filipino clothing, alongside national Filipino markers such as their bird and flowers. After creating her moodboard she transitioned into sketching her designs and bringing those to life. Throughout the entirety of her collection she wanted to make sure that she included Filipino touches. Yet modernizing them in a way that correlates to her own personal style.
As Somera continues to build her collection she continues to appreciate her ability to learn while creating. “Learning the history and heritage of my family and being able to connect to that on a deeper level is a really rewarding process,” said Somera.
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