Fashion
Right off the Runway
Union City ’ s Helen Castillo shares her passion for fashion
WRITTEN BY TARA HOPFENSPIRGER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MELINDA DIMAURO HAIR BY LUCA BURNETT MAKEUP BY JULIAN LAZARO
Fashion designer and former Project Runway contestant Helen Castillo was born with artistry in her blood . She was raised by two graphic designer parents , Tony and Claire , who encouraged and inspired her love of the arts , and was also fortunate enough to attend Woodrow Wilson School , aUnion City public school in Weehawken that specializes in arts integration .
Castillo remembers her first fashion class . Itwas an elective called Fashion Show , and she was inthe fourth grade . She had to design and create an unbleached muslin dress covered ina black floral print , and then wear it on the runway .
Little did the Union City resident know that less than adecade later she would be creating designs to be worn on arunway for the world to see . Castillo was acon- testant on season 12 of Project Runway , areality fashion-design TV show on Lifetime hosted by internationally known model Heidi Klum .
Although her talent and creativity were fostered at home and school from avery young age , itwasn ’ t until the age of 13 that Castillo knew what she was going to do for the rest of her life .
Castillo was just ayoung teenager when she began to attend summer and weekend courses at The Fashion Institute of Technology . She would be in Manhattan from 10 a . m . to 4p . m . in the summers , taking everything from Comic Book Illustration to Design Room Technique . Itwas at FIT where she learned to use an industrial-sized sewing machine .
“ I didn ’ t really know Iwanted to do fashion until then ,” Castillo says . “ I remember the moment that Ikind of had this epiphany . I looked around and thought , ‘ This is my life now .’ Something in me knew this is what Iwanted to do .”
Castillo ’ s talent was undeniable and her gut instinct ended up being correct , but she had quite the journey toget to where she is today . After graduating from Academy of the Sacred Heart in Hoboken , Castillo applied to the undergraduate program at FIT . She was rejected the first time she applied .
Castillo completed her first year at Kean University , while still taking night and weekend classes at FIT . She applied again the following year and was accepted . Castillo completed her associate degree there , and began to design for a private outerwear label in New York City .
“ It was alot of computer work and I was just bored ,” she says . “ I knew there was so much more I could be capable of if I had a better degree . So I went back to FIT for my bachelor ’ s degree in special occasion design .”
While studying at FIT , Castillo took on numerous internships , two of which were at the Vera Wang design house in New York City and Vivienne Westwood in London . She describes the internships as pivotal to her career , solidifying her decision to design for the rest of her life . She graduated from FIT with her bachelor ’ s degree in 2012 .
The summer after graduation , Castillo took part in Elle magazine ’ s Fashion Next designer competition . She showed a three-look collection at Lincoln Center in September 2012 and was published in
Elle the following month . She was starting to get recognized .
That October , Castillo won a Vogue young talent online competition . With that victory , she partnered with MUUSE , a Denmark fashion brand with whom she still works , to provide made-to-order couture gowns .
Castillo then landed a job working as the technology design assistant for a women ’ s active wear brand in November
“ My designs are not about me . It ’ s about what ’ sinmyhead and trying to get it out . I am definitely not my client .”
2012 . After six months of not loving the position , she did aGoogle search on how toapply to be on Project Runway .
She filled out and submitted the multiple-page application and heard back a month later that she was invited for an in-person interview . Within aweek , she got aphone call telling her she made it onto the show .
“ This was anopportunity totake part in something that everyone knows about , and put my trust into my design aesthetic being in the spotlight ,” she says . “ I was basically right out of school and this was the first chance Ihad to do full-on design .”
While on the show , Castillo took part in various design challenges and had her creations considered by apanel of judges . She says at that time in her career , she didn ’ t know ofwhat she was even capable .
“ In the second episode , Ihad to make an evening gown in 10 hours and Idid quite poorly ,” she says . “ I had no grasp on time management and didn ’ t even complete it – Ihad to sew the model up in it . Ihad abreakdown after that
>
( 201 ) GOLD COAST MAY 2016
43