Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Valentina Blandon.
Hi Sarah Valentina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started a couple of years ago and ever since everything have been happening organically. Since I was little, I was always interested in fashion and it may sound cliche, but I used to reform my parent’s clothes, so I could use them.
I am from Bogota-Colombia, where it all started. I studied there and I took some courses in pattern making, draping and I started making skirts and selling them in the independent stores in Colombia, but I always wanted more so I decided to travel to study fashion design and life brought me to Miami where I graduated from Miami International University of Art & Design a year ago.
A few months before finishing my studies, I started to imagine creating a line and my own name to show my work and then the name LEVALLY came from my middle name Valentina, I wanted to go out with a mini collection based on the romantic wear and avant-garde ‘Non-seasonal- ready to wear brand with a mission to offer eclectic, feminine and sassy pieces.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“You always keep thinking” this is my sales collection; will this drive sales, am I getting the right public and where is my public? That is what has been the most challenging since I started this journey.
Levally is a work in progress, it is a project that will guide with time, to be known for something and doing something in a certain way, then saying we are going to make a change.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
People thought I am brave by creating a “BRAND” from scratch where almost everything is done by me, I have a very small team which includes my social media editor and I.
When designing, I always ask myself; does it look like a work of art?
I want people to feel like they wear masterpiece of art, I think of Levally as a person who lives a certain lifestyle and embodies the freedom of the body.
There are options and alternatives in this industry to manufacture responsibly, and that’s what Levally wants to specialize in. We are learning and uncovering possibilities to be a slow fashion brand from the making process, as well as the cutting and fabrics we use.
I am most proud of the shift in how we make our clothes. The fact almost all my pieces are designed at my home-based atelier.
With better and more ethical fabrications come even more beautiful clothes, embracing every piece in your closet as into a key piece.
I support the concept of buying less and wearing more, supporting local and emerging designers.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Besides to be more fun and spontaneous when it comes to take decisions in each design. While growing as a designer, it becomes an interesting conversation and a kind of conflict for me with every decision I make. It has taught me to take more responsibility of the planet and be more thoughtful at the time of each step.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.levally.us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/levally_official/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/pg/levally.us/posts/
Image Credits
Photography: Juan Botero
