Profession / role:

designer/ knitwear freelancer

Company / organisation:

zaidibirindilindilandia

Website (if you have one):

www.zagb.net

My primary role in relation to fashion is:

Entrepreneur

I am looking to discover or buy

networking, freelance work, career opportunities

About me / About business or organisation:

zaida adriana goveo balmaseda
knitwear designer/artist/concoctionist

Born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico to Cuban and Puerto Rican parents.

I grew up in the countryside surrounded by mango and avocado trees, chickens and horses. My mother and grandmother: master craftswomen who believe that everything can be done at home. The house was full of ribbon, thread, fabric and sewing machines, and there was always a new project to be done.
In this household full of creativity I developed an effervescent interest in the ARTS.

I attended the Escuela Central de Artes Visuales (the Visual Arts High School)and in 2006 looking to expand my horizons, I left my enchanting island and moved to New York.

I began my studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology, in the heart of NYC's Garment District. New York made me strong, gave me drive and incredible career opportunities: Interning with Twinkle by Wenlan, working as a freelance sketch artist, and participating in the Fusion Fashion Show Competition (representing FIT)...but it also made me hungry for new adventures.

After studying two years in Italy, at POLIMODA in Florence, and at the Politecnico di Milano, in Milan; I graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York with a BFA in International Fashion Design: Knitwear Specialization, and a Minor in Italian Studies.

Committed to ethical/sustainable practices,throughout the design/production process, I've intered at Auralis, and STUDY NY. I am a true believer in quality vs. quantity, interested in research, and exploring the realm between art and fashion. I want to emphasize the meaningful results we can obtain while using alternative methods to create unconventional, clothes/art that are beautiful and fair to everyone.

Going the extra mile can bring out surprising ideas and
creative solutions to an industry that needs a new set of values.

Career history / Company history:

Recent Graduate (May '11) from the Fashion Institute of Technology. BFA in International (Italy/New York) Fashion Design, Knitwear Track.
Minor in Italian

Internships/Employement History:
-zaidibirindilindilandia: owner/designer| 2009-present
--Kimmiekakes, LLC: freelance sketch artist| 2007-present
-Auralis| Design Intern: Fall '10/knitwear collaborator December'11
-STUDY NY| Design Intern Spring '11
-Twinkle by Wenlan: Design Intern | Spring2008

My work has been recently exhibited at the MMXIproject (Tribeca Grand Hotel,NYC), the Mittelmoda design Competition in Gorizia, Italy, and at the Ethical Fashion Show in Paris, France.

As one of the 4 finalists of Category 2 of The Green Fashion Competiton, I presented my capsule collection CALAFURIA during Amsterdam Fashion Week in late January 2012.