ORLANDO DUGI

34 year old Orlando Dugi who is originally from Arizona, but now resides in Santa Fe is the newest member of Santa Fe Fashion Week.  Orlando has been designing women’s evening wear now for three years, this self taught designer received his first sewing class in middle school home economics class, and this was the catalyst for this designer who began by sewing dresses for his sister.

Orlando admits he is inspired by European Haute Couture and began to hand sew his creations just recently he began to use a sewing machine for his evening gowns, but says he still employs hand sewing for many parts of his designs.  Orlando asserts that it can take months to create one gown.  His last collection was called Opulence.

 

 

DEFY MI

 

Cody is the creative director of Defy Mi and is the newest designer to join onto the Santa Fe Fashion Week team, the 36 year old Phoenix, Arizona designer is Native American from the Navajo Nation, before designing clothes Cody was a Mathematics teacher for seven years.

Self taught designer of Defy Mi has learned much by working with other local designers and as a seamstress and alteration specialist she has a keen eye for detail, which she has obtained from Couture sewing,  Defy Mi also works with their clients for individual designs.

Defy Mi will be presenting their new collection this year which will consist of tailored pieces and easy separates with classic shapes with a contemporary twist

CREENISGAA DESIGNS

Linda Lavallee is the creative director of Creenisgaa designs, newest designer for Santa Fe Fashion Week, at 47 she has been designing hand crafted foot wear for 29 years, the product of three generation of manufacturing Foot Wear.  Linda is originally from Timber Bay, Saskatchewan Canada.

She was taught the fine art of boot making by the best of her elders and she also attended the Shoe School in Port Townsend, Washington.

The collection she is designing for SFFW will be based upon the Native American traditions of the Cree and Nisgaa Nations.  I look forward to seeing these designs at Santa Fe Fashion Week in November.