On the Runway

Fashion can just be the clothes people wear every day, but for senior Caitlin Vaca-Washington, they are the way people are represented.
“The clothes that I design are clothes that fit me, and they represent who I am, and I know there are a lot of people who are like me, so I want to represent them too,” Vaca-Washington said.
Vaca-Washington will be attending the University of San Francisco next fall, majoring in fashion marketing and entrepreneurship. According to Vaca-Washington, while fashion design is her main goal, she is also interested in learning about what it takes to be financially successful in her future career.
“I want to learn how to run a business and get a good feel for that, so I don’t just have the fashion aspect but the money and managing skills as well,” Vaca-Washington said.
Her decision to go into fashion was inspired by her passion and admiration for others in the fashion industry.
“I like a lot of Off-White,” Vaca-Washington said. “I like the way that Virgil does not do anything that everyone else does. The things he does are simple, but they are something I would never have thought of.”
Besides fashion, she was also interested in pursuing a degree in marine biology before deciding to go with her current decision.
“I was also interested in being a marine biologist because I love the ocean, but I love fashion more.”
According to Vaca-Washington, the risk is what attracts her to the fashion industry. She likes the uncertainty and the opportunity to prove herself despite the odds.
“If you just put yourself out there and take a risk, you never know where you could end up.”
Taking a risk is something that inspires Vaca-Washington every day as she designs her own pieces of clothing.
“One phrase I’d use to describe my style is out there,” Vaca-Washington said. “It can’t be confined in a box.”