Carmen Luvana

Carmen Luvana is a designer and founder of Carmen Luvana Designs. She began her design career in New York City where she graduated from the School of Design at Syracuse University. After moving to LA, she started her own design firm and is now working with renowned brands such as Gucci, Prada and Miu Miu to bring their designs to life.

The Designer Behind The Designs

Before we get started, it’s important to establish a few things about Carmen. First, she is a very humble and kind person. She also has a very close relationship with her father, who passed away when she was 21 years old. She is a passionate woman who works hard to make sure her clients feel comfortable and welcome, while always ensuring the best quality. Below, we’ll explore more about her and how her unique perspective and career experience have helped her develop into the designer she is today.

A Designer’s Life

Although she started her design career in New York City, Carmen has always considered fashion week to be her ‘home’ since moving to Los Angeles. “I have always loved fashion and the design world; it’s just the way I was raised,” explains the designer. “I grew up in the shadow of Gianni Versace. My dad is particularly fond of saying that he designed the most fashionable women in the world, and my uncles are proud that they designed the iconic Gianni Versace ‘Heart’ necklace.”

After graduating from the School of Design at Syracuse University, Carmen worked in New York City as a designer and a buyer for a luxury retail company. She then moved to Los Angeles and started her own design firm specializing in men’s accessories. Her firm, Carmen Luvana Designs, provides services such as fashion consulting, costume design, prop styling and tailoring. In addition to her work as a designer, Carmen frequently takes on freelance projects, designing everything from costumes to jewelry for high-profile clients such as Prada, Miu Miu, Dior and more.

A Designer’s Workflow

Like many other designers, Carmen follows a typical design workflow. She begins by researching the latest fashion trends and then translates them into usable design elements. Much of her work is then refined through several rounds of adjustments, with the final design being presented to her client for approval. Below, we’ll explore the design process behind Carmen’s latest work.

Research And Analysis

Even before she gets started, Carmen does a lot of research into the latest fashion trends and then translates them into usable design elements. Through her research, she learns about the psychology of the contemporary male audience, tailoring suits to fit this demographic, for example.

As a designer, she then uses this knowledge to develop and present her clients with unique designs that will excite and delight them.

The Power Of Personality

Since Carmen is a very driven and determined woman, her clients come to expect this from her. This determination is what has enabled her to create such a vast design portfolio; she simply refuses to be limited by what is ‘in vogue’ at any given moment. Instead, she strives to create timeless designs that her clients will love and remember.

“I want my work to stand the test of time,” she explains. “I want my clients to have a piece of clothing that they can wear time and time again, and feel comfortable in doing so. I want my work to become a part of their life, and not something that they wear once and then never think about again.”

Tailoring Suits For The Contemporary Male

One of the things that sets Carmen apart from other designers is her exceptional tailoring skills. In addition to designing men’s suits, she also creates custom-tailored fabric for high-profile individuals and brands. This is a service that her firm provides, taking on large projects such as designing a complete suit for Miu Miu or Dior.

Carmen takes great pride in her work, calling it ‘hand made’ and using her tailoring skills to give her designs an extra special touch. “I think that tailoring is almost like a lost art,” she says. “I enjoy bringing it back and making it relevant for today’s world.”

Creating Timeless Designs

Another important characteristic of Carmen’s work is her ability to design for and with the times, yet still provide her clients with timeless pieces that they will enjoy wearing over and over again. This is what makes her designs so special; she is truly a master of taking what is ‘in vogue’ now and translating it into usable design elements that will still be in vogue in a hundred years’ time.

This skill is evident in many of her designs. Take her ‘slim-fit wool suit’ for example; it is currently ‘in vogue’ to have a slim-fit suit, but also easy to wear for men who are not as slim as the designers who wear them. This is a design that she has already created multiple times, offering a slim-fit version for both men and women.

“My work is all about being as timeless as possible,” says Carmen. “One of the ways that I do this is by making certain that my designs are easy to wear and comfortable to wear. This is something that will never go out of style.”

Through her research, experience and attention to detail, Carmen quickly becomes one of the top-rated designers on platforms like Google Search and LinkedIn. She also takes great pride in being listed among the ‘Top 40 Under 40′ in the industry; it is a testament to her hard work and unique perspective that she is able to rise to the top so quickly.

What is your design process like? We’d love to hear more about your creative process. And, if you’ve ever needed a suit tailored, where do you turn?