Lizzie Duenez: designing and sewing

As a little girl with her eyes constantly glued to the TV, junior Lizzie Duenez watched countless red carpets. The glitz and glamor eventually went from the carpet to Duenez’s sketchbook, inspiring her to start designing and sewing clothes when she was eight.

Though red carpet events like the annual Met Gala still inspire Duenez, she now finds her ideas in different ways, including various eras in time and even architecture. 

“Designing has [allowed] me to be more creative and share how I see art with others. It taught me to be more confident and helped me be more resourceful by using old materials and clothes to make something new and fun instead of wasting money that I don’t have,” Duenez said.

Not only does Duenez find it useful to quickly fix small clothing issues — such as mending a hole in a sweater or hemming a dress — but Duenez also recognizes the benefits sewing will have in the future, especially as she hopes to become an actress.

“I think it would be cool to be [my] own designer because you don’t have to limit yourself. You can be proud of something; everything would be made for you and [based on] what you like instead of what someone else thinks would be good for you. You get to use your own opinion and [make your own] decisions,” Duenez said.