Conversation with Valerie Cabrera: FUNKSHION Fashion Week T-Shirt Design Winner

Dominican-born Miami International University student Valerie Cabrera won the FUNKSHION Fashion Week T-shirt design contest with a concept celebrating the "True Taste of the Caribbean." Premier Guide Miami's Marie-Junie Pierre sat down with her at the Setai Hotel on the night her design was unveiled.. Premier Guide Miami sat down to find out what that means — and what comes next.

Dominican-born Valerie Cabrera was the T-shirt design winner for this year's FUNKSHION Fashion Week in Miami Beach. The 21-year-old Miami International University art student's design was chosen as the winning entry for its capture of the "True Taste of the Caribbean." The contest was developed as a partnership between Presidente USA and Miami International University of Art Design, inviting fashion students to submit designs in accordance with Presidente's multicultural brand philosophy.

As part of its involvement in FUNKSHION Fashion Week Miami Beach, Presidente Light was an Official Presenting Sponsor of the fashion show "A*MUSE" by Richie Rich, featuring Pamela Anderson. Valerie's design — a Presidente bottle on the left side of the tee shirt with a series of fashion-forward messages — was deemed the most compelling and unique representation of the brand. Premier Guide Miami's Marie-Junie Pierre got a chance to conduct a one-on-one interview with Ms. Cabrera at the Setai Hotel on the night her T-shirt design was revealed.

PGM: Congratulations on winning the FUNKSHION Fashion Week T-shirt Design Contest. Did you ever imagine you would emerge as the winner?

VC: I had no idea that I was actually going to win. I do not know how to draw and I designed the T-shirt on the computer with Paint, which is a very simple program. I think they really liked the concept of my design and this is why they chose it.

PGM: What did you have in mind when you were designing this T-shirt?

VC: I'm from the Dominican Republic and as you know, Presidente is a Dominican beer. Since I was very small, I grew up seeing how they work — they always try to incorporate the concepts of the sun, the country and the Caribbean into their events. I wanted to see how I could use those same concepts in fashion.

PGM: Do you have any plans of coming out with your own line or delving more into the fashion design industry?

VC: I am actually considering working for a big company as a buyer, doing styling, public relations or working as an event organizer. I don't have any work experience so I'm still unsure what my next step will be.

PGM: What are you studying right now?

VC: I am studying Fashion Merchandising, which is Marketing, and I am actually in my second quarter in the program.

PGM: Do you think you were able to incorporate what you learned in your studies into your design?

VC: I definitely do. They teach us a lot from fashion to business. We take Public Relations classes as well as Business classes and the program incorporates a little of everything. I think that what I learned helped me tremendously during the designing process.

PGM: Do you have any encouraging words for other students who might be interested in entering this contest in the future or pursuing a career in the fashion industry?

VC: I would tell them to give it a try if they feel it's really right for them. The outcome might be really good. This is exactly what happened in my case.

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