Heather ortiz

Heather Ortiz is a Cuban-American fashion designer from Miami, FL, based in New York City. Her design and garment-making approach is propelled by the discovery and exploration of existing or potential nuances in positive/negative space relationships. She uses her work as a means to create and re-define spatial meaning in fashion, especially through the manipulation of color, silhouette, and surface.

Her upcoming senior thesis “Inflex” is a knitwear collection inspired by the Op Art movement of the 1960s and presents optical illusion in conversation with the body. Through surface design, scale, and silhouette, this collection aims to distort, enhance, question, and re-address the form. Her somewhat practical design approach aids in striking balance between conceptually complex pieces and wearability, something she values heavily in regards to sustainability.

After graduation, she plans to explore different facets of the fashion industry, though particularly interested in knitwear and print design. Her eventual goal is to create her own independent Ready-to-Wear brand that not only communicates and evolves her creative direction, but prioritizes an ethical approach to fashion, rooted in inclusivity and environmental consciousness.