Meet Karen Chinchilla | Tailor / Seamstress and Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karen Chinchilla and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was working at Prada Broadway Epicenter in New York City as one of their four tailors. I really loved it and it was quite scary to leave. The team there was very supportive and encouraged me to keep growing. I felt like I had to push myself and start my own business in tailoring and making custom pieces. I wanted to be able to work with different stylists and put myself in positions where I could learn different brands and makes. Each fashion house has their own techniques and when you are opening up a garment to tailor, it is like surgery. You are opening a whole world of construction that you have to replicate in order for the piece to look like it wasn’t touched. The part I love about sewing and tailoring is that you are always learning. It’s a craft that takes many years to master so I felt that me starting my own business and being hired by different houses would give me the experience to master my craft.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
There are many tailors and seamstresses in the world. You can go down any street and find someone who labels themselves as a tailor. To find someone who can manipulate a garment at a true Haute Couture level is the challenging part. It was thanks to the the older seamstresses from years ago and even now that I was able to learn these techniques. Years into my craft I have worked on haute couture from Paris for certain clients. This is a unique experience to be able to have in America.

In addition most seamstresses and tailors work for one fashion house. I regularly work with multiple fashion houses like Alexander McQueen, Prada and Dior. That gives me an insight on the finishing of garments that is uncommon.

I studied womenswear in school and was mentored in menswear for years. To work on fine luxury garments for both men’s and women’s pieces is very unique and quite rare. This summer I took a few weeks off to learn more about bespoke menswear tailoring in Ireland. Currently I am working with an older Italian tailor in New York who is generously teaching me classic Neapolitan style bespoke tailoring. This is a craft that takes years to master but drive to expand my knowledge helps me have patience while learning.

On challenges:
For years it was hard for people to trust me to tailor their very expensive garments. I remember a seamstress specifically saying she couldn’t hire me because I looked too young. I didn’t take it personal and maintained a positive attitude. That disposition allowed me to push myself to keep learning and be observant while others with more experience worked. I never hold back on asking others with more experience their ideas on how to do something. I learn something from each one of them.

The ongoing challenge is knowing your worth and constantly reminding myself of it in an industry that doesn’t really reward the craftsmen executing their vision.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I got a certificate in Fashion Design from Parsons here in New York but I owe my interest in tailoring to my grandmother and mother. Both are very talented seamstresses. My grandmother taught me how to hold a needle and make my first stitches when I was about 3 years old!! I was so mesmerized by her box of buttons and notions that she must have felt it was a way to entertain me while she watched me. My mom has such an eye for cutting cloth and pattern understanding. Growing up I would sketch the clothes I wanted and she would make them for me. Still to this day I ask her for help when I am working on tricky pieces.
I worked at Marni as an assistant to the head seamstress Angela. I was so blessed to work one on one with her for a couple years. In that time, she taught me so much on the deconstruction and construction of a garment. How to mark the piece in order to put it back perfectly. We were completely taking off sleeves, ruffles, and skirts to cut and reshape according to the clients body. Her patience and motherly care for me made me look forward to working with her and learning.
Felix was a tailor I also assisted at John Varvatos. He taught me a lot about tailoring suiting and particularly sleeves and buttonholes. He was also insistent on me using a thimble. A thimble is so important for tailors because it protects your finger from being pierced by the needle. It also gives your hand stability when working on tougher fabrics. He also made me aware that in old classic tailoring houses if you don’t use a thimble you aren’t respected as a good tailor!
My friend Jorge recommended me as a tailor for Prada and hired me there. He trusted I was willing to continue learning and brought me in. Later he recommended me at Alexander McQueen who I currently do a lot of tailoring for here in New York.
Giannita was my boss at Prada and she has been very generous with her knowledge. She has been instrumental in my learning about gown construction and tailoring knits. Her and I still work together on various projects. She taught me how to rip open sweaters and re-knit them back together. Even when I am working on something completely different she calls me over to show me what she is doing. She exposed me to working on pieces for the red carpet, it was thanks to her recommendation of me to others that I started working many of the red carpet events.
There have been stylists along the way that have trusted me with their clients that I am so grateful for. Cristina Ehrlich, Jason Bolden, Jason Rembert, Marcus Paul and June Ambrose are all very talented stylists with clear visions that I enjoy working with. All are at the top of their industry and their confidence in me when I am working on their clients pieces pushes me to give them my best. The relationship between the tailor and the stylist is a critical element in bringing the look to life. When you work in a creative field there are many people and experiences that contribute to your growth.

Website: Karenchinchilla.com

Instagram: Howiskaren

Linkedin: Karen Chinchilla

Image Credits
@ramonrecords (with neon lights) All other photos @_whereisjosh