Marisol Deluna

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Marisol Deluna (born 1967, San Antonio, Texas) is an American fashion designer.

[edit] Early years

One of five children, she grew up in a house of her father's design in the San Antonio, Texas suburb of Alamo Heights.

In the first grade, her own "House of Deluna" specialized in the creation of multi tier ballgowns for a royal smart set of pretty princesses.

While in middle school, she paid a fellow classmate five dollars to sew a skirt of her own design for a homemaking class assignment. This would later be known as her first time to rely on production outsourcing.

During her high school years, a special art class was offered just for Marisol to work on school projects. These tasks included drama productions, fundraising and advertising to promote school spirit. She received the "Most Artistic Senior" Award upon graduation.

Her upbringing was typically suburban in all aspects of her early teen years. Babysitting was her main source of employment. She spent her free time shopping at a local mall, playing video games at 7-Eleven, watching MTV with friends and playing tennis.

Always admiring her mother's Mikimoto pearls, she lived by the writings of the 1980 Lisa Birnbach's Official Preppy Handbook by dressing the part to prepdom perfection and attending Cotillion. This was until her grandfather gifted her a random pair of military issued combat boots which began a short lived 80's "punk" era that quickly merged into a quirky "hippie" stage that followed her into art school.

At 18, Marisol legally changed her surname Luna to Deluna. This was her family's original name before immigrating from Spain to the United States. From Spanish to English, her last name literally translates to "of Moon".

[edit] Education

In 1985, Deluna graduated from Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, Texas. She then earned a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute with honors and studied at the New York Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design for marketing, fashion and textile design. She studied language at the Cervantes Institute and Alliance Française in Paris and New York enabling her to be trilingual.

[edit] Company history

Her career began in New York's Garment District of the borough of Manhattan in 1989 the day following her college graduation. She worked with several fashion design houses before creating her own atelier Deluna By Design, Inc. in 1997 selling under the brand label- Marisol Deluna New York.

She started her company from her Central Park West apartment, selling primarily to friends and family members. After her first and only trade show, this fledgling company quickly outgrew her dining room table. The design studio relocated to Tribeca in lower Manhattan and is currently at Madison Square Park.

Her ateliers are located worldwide including New York, Buenos Aires and Paris.

She is an Executive Member of the Fashion Group International.

[edit] Product line

Offering a signature collection of textiles, handbags, accessories and couture apparel, Marisol is most noted for her custom designed silk scarves and ties that target an unorthodox customer base in the fashion industry: non-profit organizations.

While in her high school student council and later as a member of the New York Junior League, she saw that charitable endeavors require vital financial support and marketing. She merged the idea of fundraising with her design capabilities to address these issues.

Her company is structured with two product divisions. A signature collection and her non-profit endeavors. Both support the other and have done so since the inception of the company.

[edit] Craftsmanship

Her signature look is developed by "old school" methods for a high tier customer base.

Computer aids are rarely relied upon in the initial development of her designs as she continues to use paint and ink to create her conceptual drawings. She learned this from her father's lead, as he was a technically trained aerial cartographer before computers were commonly used.

Skilled craftsmen manually silk screen her designs in mass production while each seamstress continues to sew her piece goods by hand.

The ability to tell a meaningful story without depending on "cookie cutter" imagery throughout her collection is what make her designs so clever. This is due in part to Marisol's love of historical studies and various cultures. She researches every suitable subject matter before creating her designs.

You just know a design is right when she completes it. Every detail has been closely considered and nothing is left to chance.

– Sally de Barcza, Historical Conservationist, W3R New Jersey USA (2006)

[edit] Clientele

She believes her clients appreciate fashionable items that have meaning on a personal level yet create betterment for others.

Her designs are considered timeless and worn in a variety of styles to suit women of all generations.

HRH Queen Elizabeth II is a patron of one such organization and was presented a special scarf of Marisol's design.

She additionally has created designs for various municipalities, educational institutions, fraternal and social organizations including the American Yacht Club, Associations of Junior Leagues International, Colonial Dames of America, Alpha Phi Foundation, San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, City of New York, Wellesley College and the Smithsonian to mention a few.

Notables owning her designs include Senator Hillary Clinton, First Lady Laura Bush, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the late former Governor of Texas Ann Richards and late former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson.

Marisol's designs are highly spirited. She remains true to herself while capturing the essence of others.

– The late philanthropist Henry Luce III, The Henry Luce Foundation. New York, New York USA (2002)

[edit] Charitable endeavors

She believes that site visits allow teaching art to orphans, introducing inner city students to fashion career options, mentoring at settlement houses, public schools, women's organizations and for those in need of guidance to begin their own companies.

The New York Times After School Program, Girl Scouts of the USA, the Junior League, LULAC and Friends of the Orphans are a few outlets that have allowed her outreach to others.

[edit] Mentorship

Mentoring has always been vital in her success. From an early age, Marisol was encouraged to be productive with her creativity.

"Being a mentor or mentee are of equal importance to me, as I have been both."

Marisol Deluna New York Times After School Program, New York, New York USA (2005)

[edit] Philanthropy

Her monitary donations to charties go beyond simply writing checks. She supports various causes globally by gifting her time and money to enhance the lives of others. Marisol appreciates seeing change occur first hand.

[edit] Social affiliations

At the age of seven, the Girl Scouts of the USA was the first social outlet Marisol held a membership. Currently, she is in good standing with several notable social institutions worldwide including the Junior League, Lansdowne Club in London, University Club of Chicago, Pilgrim Society of the United States and Great Britain, New York Athletic Club, NYAC Yacht Club and United States Tennis Association among others.

One might think of her as a "Clubist", however she is far from one. Marisol treats this one like a second home.

– Sara Manley, New York Junior League, New York, NY USA (2000)

[edit] Marriage

Marisol married her longtime friend, attorney Jonathan Washburn Cole on June 12, 1999 at the New York Junior League in Manhattan.

[edit] External links

• http://www.marisoldeluna.com