Designers
Celeste Malvar-Stewart
(Photograph by Priscilla Dwomoh)
Celeste Malvar-Stewart is a Filipino American fashion and fibre artist who focuses on sustainable design, emphasizing the importance of slow fashion within one of the most harmful industries. She works with Ohio family farms to obtain luxury wool and alpaca fibre to create her hand-felted textiles and ethereal couture fashion, using all natural and upcycled materials. She has exhibited her work in various museums and galleries and is widely published both nationally and internationally. Celeste is a full-time independent artist and adjunct faculty at the Columbus College of Art and Design in the fashion department, as well as mentors several students and alumni. She is a Columbus Makes Art artist and serves on the board of the Greater Columbus Arts Council.
(Photograph by Priscilla Dwomoh)
Celeste Malvar-Stewart is a Filipino American fashion and fibre artist who focuses on sustainable design, emphasizing the importance of slow fashion within one of the most harmful industries. She works with Ohio family farms to obtain luxury wool and alpaca fibre to create her hand-felted textiles and ethereal couture fashion, using all natural and upcycled materials. She has exhibited her work in various museums and galleries and is widely published both nationally and internationally. Celeste is a full-time independent artist and adjunct faculty at the Columbus College of Art and Design in the fashion department, as well as mentors several students and alumni. She is a Columbus Makes Art artist and serves on the board of the Greater Columbus Arts Council.
Tracy Powell
Tracy Powell is a Fashion Designer/Artist and founder of The House of IsA. Tracy has always been surrounded by fashion, music and the arts her entire life. Tracy was born an Air Force Brat which made for a unique childhood. She lived in many places and non-English speaking countries that sparked her desire to read and out of her experience abroad came her love for comic books which set in motion her world of creativeness and fantasy. Tracy’s love for textiles and the juxtaposition of materials, the rough and the soft, the shiny and the dull adds a uniqueness to her designs. Using unconventional materials, natural proteins, cellulose fibers and embellishments makes the House Of IsA a brand with distinct individuality.
Tracy Powell holds a BFA degree in Fashion Design from the Columbus College of Art and Design. Tracy Powell has been featured in runway shows and exhibitions throughout the Midwest and widely published in magazines and articles internationally. Tracy designed uniforms for the local hotels in the Columbus downtown area. Tracy Powell designs under her independent brand The House of Isa and she has designed for celebrities, sport celebrities, corporations and film.
Tracy Powell is a Fashion Designer/Artist and founder of The House of IsA. Tracy has always been surrounded by fashion, music and the arts her entire life. Tracy was born an Air Force Brat which made for a unique childhood. She lived in many places and non-English speaking countries that sparked her desire to read and out of her experience abroad came her love for comic books which set in motion her world of creativeness and fantasy. Tracy’s love for textiles and the juxtaposition of materials, the rough and the soft, the shiny and the dull adds a uniqueness to her designs. Using unconventional materials, natural proteins, cellulose fibers and embellishments makes the House Of IsA a brand with distinct individuality.
Tracy Powell holds a BFA degree in Fashion Design from the Columbus College of Art and Design. Tracy Powell has been featured in runway shows and exhibitions throughout the Midwest and widely published in magazines and articles internationally. Tracy designed uniforms for the local hotels in the Columbus downtown area. Tracy Powell designs under her independent brand The House of Isa and she has designed for celebrities, sport celebrities, corporations and film.
Juan José Saenz-Ferreyros
(Photograph by Staley Munroe)
Peruvian Fashion Designer Juan José Saenz-Ferreyros was inspired at a very young age by the many parties attended by his parents in Lima, the capital of Peru. Weekend evenings were formal, with women wearing long dresses and evening gowns. Juan José recalls beautiful evening gowns in chiffon, with embroidery, bead work, and crystals – and often evokes the emotion of that time in his designs. He sold his first designs in Lima, Peru as a teenager. He attended Chio Lecca Fashion School in Lima, continuing his studies in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he also studied journalism and the culinary arts. He moved to Medellin, Colombia, where he became an assistant to fashion designer Jaime Almonacid. In Colombia, Juan José also worked for the John Casablanca modeling school and agency as a model and teacher. He worked as a journalist for a tv station in Medellin and made clothes for private clients on the side, the genesis of Ferreyros Couture. Eventually, he hosted an entertaining, cooking, and fashion segment on afternoon television in Colombia and Peru.
Juan José Saenz Ferreyros has designed for Miss Colombia Universe, Miss Peru USA, and other celebrities – and has mounted Runway Shows in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Columbus (Ohio) and Washington, DC. He also designs home furnishings for MG Home, an exclusive store in Lima, Peru.
Juan José spends most of his time creating one-of-a-kind clothes – and elaborate costumes – for his private clients. His clothes are sold in two boutiques in Lima, Peru and he occasionally presents a ready-to-wear collection in Columbus.
Juan José maintains an active social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, as well as his website, www.FerreyrosLife.com.
(Photograph by Staley Munroe)
Peruvian Fashion Designer Juan José Saenz-Ferreyros was inspired at a very young age by the many parties attended by his parents in Lima, the capital of Peru. Weekend evenings were formal, with women wearing long dresses and evening gowns. Juan José recalls beautiful evening gowns in chiffon, with embroidery, bead work, and crystals – and often evokes the emotion of that time in his designs. He sold his first designs in Lima, Peru as a teenager. He attended Chio Lecca Fashion School in Lima, continuing his studies in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he also studied journalism and the culinary arts. He moved to Medellin, Colombia, where he became an assistant to fashion designer Jaime Almonacid. In Colombia, Juan José also worked for the John Casablanca modeling school and agency as a model and teacher. He worked as a journalist for a tv station in Medellin and made clothes for private clients on the side, the genesis of Ferreyros Couture. Eventually, he hosted an entertaining, cooking, and fashion segment on afternoon television in Colombia and Peru.
Juan José Saenz Ferreyros has designed for Miss Colombia Universe, Miss Peru USA, and other celebrities – and has mounted Runway Shows in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Columbus (Ohio) and Washington, DC. He also designs home furnishings for MG Home, an exclusive store in Lima, Peru.
Juan José spends most of his time creating one-of-a-kind clothes – and elaborate costumes – for his private clients. His clothes are sold in two boutiques in Lima, Peru and he occasionally presents a ready-to-wear collection in Columbus.
Juan José maintains an active social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, as well as his website, www.FerreyrosLife.com.
Yuqi (Crystal) Zhang
Yuqi (Crystal) Zhang (b. 1997 Weihai, China) is a fashion/ textile designer living in Columbus, OH. In 2022 she received her Master of Fine Arts with an emphasis in fashion design from Columbus College of Art & Design. Zhang combines fashion and fine art to give life in stasis a path to metamorphosis. She brings her unique aesthetics when creating garments and makes them become one of a kind wearable art with her imagination and textile manipulation. Besides her collections, she also does customized clothing and shoe designs.
Yuqi (Crystal) Zhang (b. 1997 Weihai, China) is a fashion/ textile designer living in Columbus, OH. In 2022 she received her Master of Fine Arts with an emphasis in fashion design from Columbus College of Art & Design. Zhang combines fashion and fine art to give life in stasis a path to metamorphosis. She brings her unique aesthetics when creating garments and makes them become one of a kind wearable art with her imagination and textile manipulation. Besides her collections, she also does customized clothing and shoe designs.
Renae Kotarski
Renae Kotarski studied fashion design in Atlanta, Georgia. Renae worked in various areas in the fashion industry for years but took a long retreat from fashion to pursuing a Master’s degree. After completing that degree, while at a café Renae was discussing all things fashion with a stranger who she met who asked Renae if she would be interested in
entering the KMAC museum’s KMAC Walks the Runway in Louisville, Kentucky in 2017. And Renae decided to give it a shot. Renae was successful in that show and decided to design again. Renae started AnàStasi fashion LLC later that year and marketed the brand with a fashion company called Louisville Bespoke who hosted annual fashion shows at the Louisville Speed Art Museum. Renae moved her brand to Cincinnati Ohio in 2020 and since moving her brand AnàStasi Fashion has been featured in Passport2Fashion 20/22 of Columbus fashion week. Renae’s designs can be purchased at anastasifashion.com
Renae Kotarski studied fashion design in Atlanta, Georgia. Renae worked in various areas in the fashion industry for years but took a long retreat from fashion to pursuing a Master’s degree. After completing that degree, while at a café Renae was discussing all things fashion with a stranger who she met who asked Renae if she would be interested in
entering the KMAC museum’s KMAC Walks the Runway in Louisville, Kentucky in 2017. And Renae decided to give it a shot. Renae was successful in that show and decided to design again. Renae started AnàStasi fashion LLC later that year and marketed the brand with a fashion company called Louisville Bespoke who hosted annual fashion shows at the Louisville Speed Art Museum. Renae moved her brand to Cincinnati Ohio in 2020 and since moving her brand AnàStasi Fashion has been featured in Passport2Fashion 20/22 of Columbus fashion week. Renae’s designs can be purchased at anastasifashion.com