Carlos Osuna, a student at Columbia College Chicago with a bachelor’s in fashion design and visual merchandiser/brand ambassador at Banana Republic, showed his fashion line on this year’s TFW’s runway.

“Using your hands to create something from scratch and watch it come to life is a beautiful experience many cannot explain,” Osuna said.

Osuna said every garment in his collection featured at TFW has a story behind it. This specific collection revolves around the mystifying nature of the woods and the negative stigma that surrounds forests.

“Movies have created a stigma of the woods being a source of evil and witchery, so I decided to turn this stigma into something positive and enlighten the moment by using the garments to portray sophisticated and elegant pieces,” Osuna said.

This year’s TFW was particularly special for Osuna because he presented his collection by the side of the teacher who taught him all he knows about fashion. 

This was Osuna’s first opportunity to show off his creativity and skill — abilities that he learned while studying fashion in Chicago. 

Osuna said the way in which he constructs his fabrics makes his garments unique. 

“I love to combine two fabrics that usually don’t go together or can be a difficult process since it’s not the usual thing to do,” Osuna said. “In this particular collection, I’m combing three completely unique fabrics that have created a great challenge for me. I have combined velvet, a spandex-like material and tulle to bring to life my designs and creations.”

Beyond TFW, Osuna hopes to one day create custom wear for celebrities and everyday people.

“I love the feeling of creating something [and] having people try it on [then] watching their expression explode with happiness,” Osuna said.

Osuna believes in giving back and has a goal to start a non-profit organization that supports the implementation of CTE training in schools.

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