A black personalized dress, bright pink belt, handmade jewelry, beret and high heels stand out amid a sea of gray hoodies and faded jeans.
For sophomore fashion designer Anna Roz, this is just an everyday school outfit.
Roz already sews her own clothes and sells handmade jewelry, and is taking her first steps as a leader, envisioning her future business prioritizing social and environmental concerns over profit.
Roz discovered her passion at the age of five, when her mom first taught her how to hand-sew. As she learned more about the history of the fashion industry and people who shaped it, she drew inspiration from the story of Christian Dior. Roz said she admired his emphasis on humanity while running a successful business.
Like her idol, Roz said she sees herself leaving a mark on the fashion industry by addressing its many ethical flaws. She explained that the fashion industry often employs practices that exploit workers and harm the environment.
“I really want to try to find some solutions while I’m a designer. Of course, there are some things that are completely out of my control and I can’t really solve, but I’d like to do my part and try to make some sort of change if I can,” Roz said.
Roz thinks that fashion is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, especially denim.
“Denim is terrible for the environment. So I think that by getting these materials from thrift stores, I can do my part in trying to make sure that I don’t contribute to this,” Roz said.
Roz’s belief that fashion has the power to create change manifested itself late last year, when, along with sophomore Noah Berger, she started the club “Fashion and Feminism.” Roz and Berger said they see community involvement as equally important to fashion as keeping up with trends. They have since used their club to organize clothing drives for local women’s shelters and raise funds for cancer research.
While Roz stays focused on the bigger impact of her work, she said she hasn’t lost sight of the creative potential that drew her to fashion in the first place. She described her personal style as “vintage.”
“I love experimenting with fashion from different eras, seeing how they mix and match,” Roz said. “But besides that, I don’t think I really have just one style.”
However, Berger had a different take.
“Y2K queen with a hint of self-made,” they said, without hesitation. “It’s like 2000s fashion—low-rise jeans, sequin tops, that kind of thing.”
According to Roz, though, her work and her look are more a reflection of her inner world and an expression of her emotions.
“Whenever I’m upset or really excited about something, any emotions I feel are usually reflected in my designs,” Roz said. “In my day-to-day outfits, I usually dress based on how I’m feeling at the moment.”
Roz said she has already planned out a future in fashion after high school. She plans on attending fashion school in Florence, Italy. Eventually, Roz said, she will found a fashion house on the level of Dior or Chanel.
“I want to have the actual name brand and a place that people just know ‘‘that’s Anna Roz fashion,’ Roz said. “That’s what I really want to have. I want to be that far in the industry.”
Lauren Comerato, Wearable Arts and Apparel teacher and the club’s adviser, said she was confident Roz has what it takes to achieve her goals in the fashion industry. She said she appreciated the effort Roz puts into her designs and outfits, and her excitement and creativity.
“She’s really driven,” Comerato said. “I think if she sets her mind to it, she’s like, ‘boom, I’m going to do it.’ And I love that for her.”
