"In The Heights"

Ivette Urbaez, silk screen fashion designer 0f Stevie's Artisans, was just featured in an article in Manhattan Times, an online newspaper that covers Upper Manhattan (Washington heights and Inwood.) The following excerpt is written by Gloria Pazmino, who did the interview in Ivette's apartment/atelier.



In an apartment-turned fashion workshop and studio on Thayer Street, Ivette Urbaez, a local designer, holds “fashion parties” in what appears to be a creative, private space that welcomes the imagination and color of anyone with an idea to share.

Think Tupperware, Mary Kay, or Pampered Chef soirees, except with clothes, accessories, a little background music and – yes – a little vino.

The one-bedroom apartment located in a pre-war walkup building in Inwood has the look of the ultimate artist studio. There are paint cans, brushes, blank and halfway worked on canvasses, drawings, and a camera. It’s all a coordinated mess of artistry. Combine that with the obligatory heat and hot water issues of an old building, and it makes for a nice bohemian, starving artist package.

It’s like a smaller version of the musical “RENT,” sans drugs and unpaid rent. A gargantuan silk screening machine sits in the middle of Urbaez’s living room. At the opposite end of the room, two sewing machines sit under one of the apartment’s windows. “I make everything; it starts out with a sketch, then the muslin pattern, to the part where I put it together myself,” says Urbaez.

Samples of Urbaez’s work line a clothing rack, and accessories are set up for the viewing and trying-on pleasure of her guests. Urbaez is a painter and photographer and her work adorns the walls of her apartment, almost mirroring the images printed on her designs.

Urbaez’s designs embrace the urban landscape of New York, by including industrial elements in her graphics and designs. The women’s fashions include screen printed tops, pants, and accessories that have city motifs such as fire escapes, subway escalators, and intertwined messes of cables and wires, creating interesting graphics.

Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Urbaez comes from a long lineage of artisans and craftspeople where she picked up her love for design. She learned basic skills from a grandmother who taught her how to sew from an early age. After moving to the United States in 1992, she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and studied surface design and accessories.

Urbaez is working towards establishing her brand and eventually selling her designs at small stores throughout the city. “I want to make women look good and make a living at it,” said Ivette.

In the works: Several of Ivette's spring designs will be sold at Lily, a boutique in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. A buyer for a shop in the Aspen, Colorado area is also interested in items from Ivette's spring line and Ivette is working on designs for a yoga wear line.

Ivette's portfolio/Look Book is now posted on YouTube. Check it out.

Ivette's New Line

Stevie's Artisans Urban Folk Art is pleased to present Ivette Urbaez's Spring/Summer line. Her "Look Book" (portfolio) attached to this posting, is a beautiful presentation of both her silk screen art and her fashion designs. It's a glimpse into a collection that captures floral and geometric graphics, created for any type of surface design. It includes photos of hand printed garments - apparel creations made into functional, wearable art that put a twist and spin on the limitations of more traditional commercial prints.




Ivette pays homage to her home - NYC - by splashing fire escapes over dresses and t-shirts. She further incorporates the hard edge elements of the high-rise city and its underground transit with graphic prints. Another motif Ivette prints on hoodies, dresses and scarves is slithering, intertwined wires and cables. She softens the edginess in other prints with hot-hued roses and tulips, but the roses often have thorns.

Although most of the designs lean toward warm weather wear, the leggings and the two asymmetrical skirts can be worn year round. Ivette and I think this presentation is super and from the positive feedback we've received, lots of people agree.

The skirts, the leggings, the red dress and the multi-colored tulip dress will be offered for purchase on Ivette's page on the soon to be Stevie's Artisans web site. Two of my favorites that will also be available are the "cable" shirt and the "cut-out back " dresses. And I love the cap sleeve t-shirts. Until my site is up, Ivette Urbaez designs are available from the Stevie's Artisan shop on Etsy.

At the Hester Street Flea Market
this summer. Ivette and I noticed
all the babies being pushed by moms, avidly shopping for interesting items for themselves and their babies. So, we ordered a bunch of baby sized t-shirts and onsies and Ivette silk screened red & yellow tulips for the girls and lime and blue fire escapes for the boys. The t-shirts and onsies are cheerful and each has a unique, one of a kind print. They're available on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/steviesartisans and eventually they will be available on my web site. They make great gifts.

So, what is Ivette designing next?

Ivette's creativity never rests. She is always sketching or figuring out what to do with odd pieces of fabric. A couple of LA stylists who saw some of her work this summer told us her work practically screams out: Yoga wear line. I've started to wear her leggings in my yoga classes. Ivette has designed lingerie sets and the camisoles could easily be adapted for yoga wear. Her cap-sleeved T-Shirts definitely work in a work-out, lending an urban kick to the Zen ambience. She and I are very excited about the possibilities.