Elle Barbeito: Dropping Out Of Art School, Discovering Fashion Design, And Being Unapologetic

Elle Barbeito is a Brooklyn based Fashion Designer.  At 18 she left her hometown of Miami to pursue the development of her craft at the Pratt Institute and her designs have already been featured in magazines and in high demand by stylists all over the city. She's grounded in her Cuban heritage and takes pride in uplifting other Latina's to express themselves artistically. Along with her friends Farah Kafei and Valentina Vergara, she helped launch the Mijita Art Collective and has since highlighted students from NYU, Parsons, and Pratt. Keep reading to learn more about her art collective, how she discovered her love for fashion design, and why she decided to drop out of art school and pursue a holistic approach to creating!

How were you introduced to fashion design in Miami? 

The way it all started is kinda weird. I've always been very interested in Art, but when I attended New World School of the Arts for 2 years in High School it began making sense to me. I was there for Visual Art which meant that we worked on a lot of 3D projects. I was taking a sculpture class that I loved, and I noticed that I kept making sculptures that were meant to be placed on the body, so I was like, ok where is this going? I began researching designers and learned that what I was doing was designing fashion.Once I discovered Alexander McQueen my mind was blown.I had never seen anybody create work like that. From there, I just went off.

Where did you learn the technical things like sewing and how to choose fabric?

As far as sewing I learned some of it from my grandma, but I really refined my skills once I started attending Pratt because the resources were everywhere. 

What's the vibe you try to give off with your designs? 

I definitely try to create pieces that give off a presence. I like to embody characteristics that are found in strong women. I grew up in a house full of strong Cuban women, which was intense as hell, so I try to give off that "Hi, I'm here" attitude. Women are really powerful and I aim to create designs that accentuate their strength.

What attracted you to NYC? 

I had always wanted to move here. My first real experience here was at 15. I came here with my family for my Quince's instead of the big party because I wanted to do a pre-college program for fashion design. I did a 3-week course at the Fashion Institute of Technology and I learned how to just, make things. After that, I fell in love with the city and was determined to come back.

How has the transition been for you coming to New York from Miami? 

Since I knew I wanted to come here, I was just ready. Whatever I needed to get used to I got used to, so with that attitude it wasn't too difficult. People come here and are scared because they don't know what to expect, and I don't blame them. It's completely different and fast paced. It's hard sometimes because I miss my family, but luckily they're just a few hours away on a flight.Also, there's no good Cuban food! I found this one place by my house, but they don't sell croquetas, so they're whatever. 

Tell me about your Miijita Art Collective! What made you start it?

I launched it with my friends Farah Kafei and Valentina Vergara last October. At the time, I was living in a building that had a huge basement and all of the people that lived in the building were art students. The building management there was terrible, so some boys on one of the floors decided to have an art show down there, but they only showcased dudes. The girls were really annoyed that they didn't invite any women to be a part of it, so we decided to just create our own thing. Farah, Valentina, and I are all latina's, so we really wanted to create a collective that could bring together talented women in our community. 

I had no intention of starting a brand or line until after I graduated, but around Sophmore year things kinda just took off on their own.

How did you come up with the name? 

Us three were just sitting in my room and brainstorming and we just said  "mijita" and it was perfect.

Where do you see your brand going in the next 5 years? 

So, here's the thing about that. I'm not enrolled at the Pratt Institute anymore. I had no intention of starting a brand or line until after I graduated, but around Sophmore year things kinda just took off on their own. I got noticed by Not Just A Label and through that, I have been able to have my work be published in magazines. I'm not really sure where it's headed, I'm just going with the flow!

What made you decided to opt out of finishing out your last 2 years at Pratt? 

Honestly, I'm not the best student in the world. Growing up my family was never strict about school because they were always feeding the creative side of me. I never failed classes but I just did enough to get by. When I got to Pratt, I wasn't used to being a "good student" so I struggled a lot because of that. Also, it was just really expensive. It was just way too much for me. I realized that I was better off doing it on my own. I had more plans for designs and a sense of what I wanted to do once I left because I had more time to focus on the shit I wanted to do. School got in the way because it was all assignments and as much as I wanted to develop a certain idea I just didn't have the time to do it.

Would you say that an aspiring fashion designer absolutely has to go to school? 

Not at all. It works for some people, and for others, it doesn't. For those that don't like it, there are other ways.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a fashion designer but doesn't have the money to go to school or didn't get accepted anywhere? How could they go about starting? 

I think it's important to start off with just putting yourself in the environment and getting your foot in the door somewhere. Get involved in projects and get out and meet people. Just work on creating and making connections.

If you could get out one message to the world, what would it be?

Don't be afraid to express yourself, be unapologetic about who you are.

To learn more about Elle and her designs head to www.ellebarbeito.com. Follow Elle on Instagram @ellebarbeito. Keep up with the Mijita Art Collective here! Cop her zine here!