Meet Sophia Kunju Herrera | Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sophia Kunju Herrera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sophia, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Ever since I was 5 years old I’ve always been fascinated by art especially painting. I think I got my creative/artistic side from my mom. I would always paint anything that came to mind. I would always make sure I had an art class either in school or outside of school. When it came time to decide what I wanted to pursue as a career I knew that it had to be in the creative field. And I remember in 9th grade I started showing an interest in fashion design and wanted to know what it encompassed to become a fashion designer so when SCAD visited my high school and showed their fashion design program, immediately I was hooked. And the journey began ever since.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The road hasn’t always been easy. Over the past 3-4 years I’ve been working on developing my brand Sophia Isabel. Sophia Isabel is a ready-to-wear fashion brand that was founded in 2019 by me. The brand specializes in ready-to-wear clothing that is for all. The brand was started back in 2019 as a custom design brand in Atlanta, Georgia. Initially, the brand designed and produced custom designs for clients that requested unique pieces for special events. In 1999 I was involved in a horrific automobile accident that left me paralyzed from the waist down. Ever since the accident I have lived in constant frustration in finding clothes that were not only easy to put on but also to feel fashionable in them and comfortable. Prior to graduating with my Bachelor’s in Fashion Design at Savannah College of Art and Design, I designed a collection that was adaptable with inner mechanisms such as loops sewed in on the inside at different sections of the clothing piece for easy pull on to the body to an adaptable zipper that is easy to pull.

Sophia Isabel aims to offer ready-to-wear adaptive clothing that can be easily put on, comfortable and stylish for all. The aims of the brand are to treat each piece of clothing like its own masterpiece and to carefully and strategically place adaptive materials where it’s easy to be used by everyone.

Along the way of creating this brand I received a lot of criticisms and discrimination against my ideas/designs to launch a brand like this. This made me at that time wanting to give up and not even continue to design anymore. However the support system that I had saw the potential in me and believed that I can succeed with these designs and that I will be able to inspire a lot of people. It made me realize that I have a voice and it should be heard and I should always stand up for what I believe in.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Places to go: -World of Coca-Cola
-Georgia Aquarium
-Piedmont Park
-Ponce City Market
– Atlantic Station
– The Beltline
– The Battery
– Six Flags
– SkyView Atlanta
– Stone Mountain Park
– Lenox Square

Where to eat:
– Tin Drum Asiacafe
– The Varsity
– Food Terminal
– Canoe
– Chopt
– Sweet Hut Bakery
– Rumi’s Kitchen

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my family, friends and my professors at SCAD. Without these people I wouldn’t be where I am today. They have pushed me to always go above and beyond and to go for my dreams even if it seemed impossible.

Website: www.sophiaisabel.design

Instagram: @sophiaisabel.designs @thesophiaherrera

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sophiaisabel

Image Credits
Jaylon Smith
Lauren Murray
TUC Fashion Week