Carmen Weiss

Collection

Bio

I am named after my Grandma and Virgen del Carmen, who is known as the protector of the sea. My name is perfectly fitting because I am a mermaid at heart. Having grown up next to the sea in Los Angeles, I feel the most free when I am in the ocean. I replicate these feelings  in my designs. When I am creating I am taken into a fantasy world with vibrant colors, Soft textures, and sound structure that seemingly flow together to make my vision come to life. I believe in transparency, I love a shear moment  as well as being an honest and  an environmentally conscious designer.

Slip into something more comfy and feel more confident by owning your power. My collection Tangled recontextualizes undergarments by making what is commonly hidden under layers of dress, revealed as outerwear. My research starts with looking through vintage lingerie advertisements from the 50’s from where my grandmother, Carmen, worked as a seamstress when she  moved to the United States from Nicaragua. Sewing is like an invisible stitch  that keeps the women in my family bound together. Tangled is designed  with circular fashion at its forefront using all second-hand and  handspun fibers to give them another life and enrich the garment's story. Peek-a-boo moments in the garments reveal skin through  the push and pull between soft chiffons, stretchy knits, and tougher leathers that hug the body. Wearing what is closest to our bodies on the outside shows vulnerability while exuding strength and confidence.