Designers on the Rise

by Jennifer Sauer

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A study in contrasts

For Daniel Mayorga, lace and pleather can live in happy harmony. Inspired by Galliano and McQueen, Mayorga’s premier collection (see WorldFashionCouncil.org for details) is European-cut, sexy and sophisticated — yet playful and futuristic. A graduate of Sacred Heart University in Bridgeport, Mayorga, age 24, worked as a graphic designer for a couple of years, and then decided to take a chance with fashion. He didn’t tell his family about his career change until he invited them to his Gibbs College graduation.

During school, Mayorga interned for celebrity fashion stylist and designer Kithe Brewster (whose clients include Heidi Klum, “Project Runway,” Iman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek). “I learned so much from Kithe. I went to all the great NYC studios and stores, and even met Vera Wang at the Calvin Klein studios,” he said. “The most important lesson: details are everything.”

In Mayorga’s five-year plan, he has penciled in time for an apprenticeship in Madrid, to add couture techniques to his book of tricks. In the meantime, he’s stayed on at Gibbs College as a teacher assistant, and is working on his 12-piece collection (see illustrations at dirTK). “I’m looking to the future, and hoping for the best,” he said.