Meet Ray Wondracek | Fashion Designer, Writer

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

Hi Ray, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Art and my specific goals within art have always been at the forefront of my mind. While going through school I was constantly surrounded by very talented and unique voices, so I always wondered what was going to set me apart and what was going to be my special message.
I was taught very early to lead my life with love. This has had a big impact on what and how I share my art. My brand, RAW, is not only my initials but represents the authenticity with which I share the concepts and meanings behind my creations. We rarely get to see that in the fashion world these days, the depth with which the designer creates their pieces, and why. This is how I choose to impact those who see and wear my garments.
Growing up I was always initially read as “too sensitive” and I always trusted the people around me with all of my darkest thoughts and experiences. My art has given me a free space to do that. A space to share my stories without fear of judgement. A space to share my life and the trauma throughout in a cathartic and impactful way.
I chose to pursue a creative career because there wasn’t even another path in mind. It has always been fashion, and I am grateful that I have found how to share it my way, in my RAWest form.

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.
I’ve have gotten where I am by staying true to my morals and maintaining genuine connections with other creatives and people who see my vision. I definitely have a lot of exciting milestones and challenges to come along with some growing to do in the confidence department, but what creative doesn’t. Being confident in your art is a battle I think we as creatives face all the time.
With my art comes heavy stories from my life that I love sharing because they have made me who I am. Vulnerability is a big mission within my label. I used to think (and was often told) that it was something that made me weak. Now my vulnerability and willingness to share with others that may have something similar to say, has become the reason that I create. When visualizing the values of my brand, I always had one important thing that I wanted to incorporate. This was how to combine my love for connection and impactful sharing with others to fashion (something that can sometimes be very surface level).
My last collection, “A Quiet Shriek”, was 10 looks that shared my first experience with sexual assault. It took place my freshman year of college by my ex girlfriend’s father. It was something that naturally lingered in my mind and therapy hasn’t really been for me in the past, so I took to what I know best, writing my story and illustrating shapes that resembled the scream that was silenced in that room. From those shapes, dresses and silhouettes were born and created with such intention. An intention to share my words and my art.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well this is an interesting question because I just moved to New York a few days ago and would love if someone had an itinerary for me.
So let’s take it back to where I last resided- Richmond, VA.
I lived in Richmond for 5 years and coming from North Carolina, it was the first big city I lived in. If one of my nest friends came to visit, I would take them to eat at my favorite little sandwich shop- Garnett’s. Homemade pickles, come on.
Once it hits appropriate drinking time, we would go to Strawberry Market, grab a 6 pack and head to Scuffletown- a small little community park- and just enjoy the people, weather, and nature.
After our siesta at scuffle, we would head to The Camel to see a local band!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom has been always been the person behind me telling me that I can achieve my biggest goals. Without her and my 3 besties back home I don’t know where I would be. They’ve seen me go through it all and I’m not even a quarter through life yet. I know whatever I do they’ll be front row cheering me on.

Website: https://raywondracek.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raw.thedesigner/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-wondracek/

Image Credits
Forest Veerhoff
Sarah Stewart