EMERGING DESIGNER

Jacinta Ligon

IN THIS FEATURE: Meet Jacinta Fashion Focus

acinta designs for the very confident woman. She has to be comfortable with her body and her self projection.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Jacinta was raised in Cleveland, Ohio and began her designing career at the tender age of five. Already innovating, Jacinta’s first creation, a purse with ruffles held together with pins, was made with fabric scraps that fell underneath her mother’s sewing table.

Jacinta's mother was her first sewing teacher and overall role model. Her mother was a professional seamstress who made clothing and also reupholstered furniture. Jacinta's mom was very stern and meticulous, often having Jacinta redo pieces that she had sewn which were not up to her mom’s standards.

At an early age Jacinta showed interest in moving on from using pins to attach fabrics together to using a sewing machine, which was very concerning to her mother. Her mother was afraid that Jacinta would injure herself with a real sewing machine, so she bought her a machine that used glue instead of needle and thread. Oh no…that would not do! Jacinta cried so much that her mother had to give in and buy her a real sewing machine and immediately with this new machine, Jacinta began making Barbie doll clothes.

While in the fifth grade, Jacinta made her first outfit for herself, which was a wraparound denim skirt. Her family and peers loved it and she was then inspired to start making more of her own clothing. At this time, Jacinta, now in high school, started to design, alter and sew clothing for her family and friends. And, the fact that she loved to sew was a blessing: Her family did not have an abundance of money and making her own clothing was far less expensive than purchasing them.

Jacinta attended Central State University, majoring in accounting. Although Jacinta enjoyed the college atmosphere, she found that it was very difficult to focus on accounting. Jacinta’s time was being spent sewing in her dorm room and designing and making garments for her professors and other college students. She realized that accounting was not for her, so she switched majors and colleges. She enrolled in Virginia Marty Fashion College in Cleveland, Ohio, and continued her education at Progressive Fashion, also in Cleveland.

Shortly after graduating, Jacinta became a flight attendant. While flying, she continued sewing but on a much more limited basis. After September 11, 2001, she received a furlough letter from the airline. Receiving that letter prompted Jacinta to once again recommit herself to fashion, her first passion. While Jacinta continued to fly (and hoping not to be one of the many flight attendants laid off during this time period), she also attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. She has since graduated with honors, having received a degree in fashion design. While attending the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, she was awarded several honors including, Fab Awards, Advance Draping, Best in show, Fab Award for Swimwear design and Best Final Project. Jacinta is still currently a flight attendant and she is also sewing her own designs. She has a great clientele and has recently auditioned for the hit Bravo reality show, Project Runway.

Jacinta also believes in helping others. She created a mentorship program called "Sew Far" which she helps young up and coming designers with their sewing techniques.