Fabiola Arias

In 2008, while still a senior at Parsons, Fabiola Arias started her own company. With her relentless drive, she looked for manufacturing in New York’s Garment District and cold called stores pitching her collection. The first store to pick up her line was Ikram in Chicago. After graduating Parsons, she pitched her thesis collection to Neiman Marcus where she sold her cocktail dresses and gowns from 2010-2014 in their couture salons across the country. Arias applied for, and won, a sponsorship from the Japanese designer incubator Shinmai Creator’s Project which allowed her to present her Fall 2011 collection at Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo. Her collection was picked up by Tokyo department store, Isetan, that season. In 2011 the Fashion Group International awarded Arias with the “Rising Star” award in their Womenswear category. Arias also won Chicago’s Gold Coast award as well as Vanidades Icons of Style award for Best Young Designer. Fabiola has been growing her private client business over the last several years. She has taken a break since having a baby in 2017 and is venturing into offering her dress collection to a wider audience.