After studying fashion design at the International Academy of Design, Juliana Corona-Mclean spent some time working as a manager in an alterations shop. However, she wanted to venture out, to try new things. Eventually, she began to make her own clothes. This later expanded to what is now Benedicto. Named after her grandfather, Juliana felt that such a name would be "strong and significant." Benedicto launched a mini-line in 2007 and soon, Juliana applied and was accepted for a grant from the government. This year, Juliana held her first fashion show with her full line of men's, women's (plus, petite as well as misses) and girls'.On why Benedicto covers all body types when it comes to women's fashion:
I don't know anyone who is six feet tall and a size zero. I wanted to create clothes for all body types. Clothing that I felt that my family and friends would wear.
On whether she uses fit models:
Clothes are made for the client and scaled according to their shape. However, for my May 24 show, the clothes designed well in advance, and then tweaked on the models.
On what she thinks looks best on ALL WOMEN:
Anything wrap - dresses or tops, would look amazing on just about anyone. Different sizes should look for different types of wrap dresses or tops. For example, if a woman is more on the plus side, she should look for something with a band so that her waist would be more defined.
On why is it so difficult for the mainstream fashion industry to understand the need for "non-standard" sizes, even when we make up the majority:
Simplicity. The industry wants manufacture many pieces very quickly, so the best way is to limit it to a range of sizes. In addition, it's cheaper to mass produce this way.
On designers she admires:
My two favourite designers are Valentino and Donna Karan. I like Valentino because he KNOWS how to make a woman look glamourous in any colour and I like Donna Karan because she didn't plan on taking the fashion world by storm. In fact, she's very down-to-earth. Like Valentino, Donna Karan knows how to make a woman look and feel fabulous. She also knows how to cater to different women. For example, her DKNY line is mainstream, has everything. Her Donna Karan line, on the other hand is sophisticated and high-end.
On where she'd like to see Benedicto in five years:By then, my e-commerce site will be up in running. I'd also like to see my clothes in a few stores in the United States and Canada. Also, I would like to import my own special fabrics, from Europe, Asia and Africa.
If you are interested in purchasing Benedicto, please contact Juliana at benedicto (at) gmail (dot) com
This is cross-posted at Prospere Magazine
