Claudia Ambrona 

Tell us a little about yourself!

CLAUDIA: My name is Claudia Ambrona. I’m from Spain, a small town called Elche, near Alicante. Presently I live in Alcoy, where I study Fashion Design. I’ve always wanted to live in a big city, being that I’m restless. I believe a big city gives you more possibilities but living in Alcoy has helped me to discover parts of myself that I may not have gotten to know in another place. Such as being in contact with nature, learning new sports, being more creative and meeting all kinds of people. I love socializing with people. I think being tolerant of others is of great importance and right now I feel very empathic with this topic.

What is your creative outlet?

CLAUDIA: I have always liked to draw, for that reason I trained a little more in this field and decided to study a creative career in which I could combine art and fashion, which are two things that I am passionate about. As a result of studying fashion design, I learned some clothing techniques, but I don't like to sew, so I found a more pleasurable way to make clothes. I discovered crochet. Not only can I create clothing, but it is also meditative and helps me to relax.

What have you learned during quarantine?

CLAUDIA: Quarantine was quite a difficult time for everyone, and I lived through it very intensely. When it started, I was not so aware of everything that was happening, but little by little my way of seeing things changed. I no longer missed partying, I preferred to see my family and friends and spend quality time with them. I loved going out even if it was only to go shopping to feel the air and the sun. I began to value small details that I did not value before. This made me reflect and come to the conclusion that when the quarantine ended, I want to continue appreciating those little things. I also realized that I had to stop more often to listen to myself so that I could continue to know myself more and more.

Did someone/something inspire you to do something differently this year?

CLAUDIA: I think that COVID has marked a before and after in the lives of all of us, so I suppose that it has inspired me to carry out new projects. To carry out some that were pending which I did not do due to laziness or fear and to experience new sensations and places.

How did you experience the shoot?

CLAUDIA: It was great to be able to go into nature with my friends for a photo session, everything was very comfortable and peaceful. I did not feel like it was an obligation, I was enjoying the environment and the company while we skated and had fun. It was great to have been a part of this!

 

Elisa Pasker

Tell us a little about yourself!

ELISA: My name is Elisa Pasker and I am 22 years old. I am currently in my last year of fashion design training in Alcoy, Alicante. I was born in Purmerend, The Netherlands, to a Dutch father and an Uruguayan mother, but moved to Spain when I was ten years old. I consider myself an active and curious person.

What are your creative outlets?

ELISA: Since I was little I have dedicated myself to classical ballet, but my great strength has always been drawing, which has brought me closer to different areas of art and design. Curiosity has led me to try different techniques to express myself, ranging from fashion design to graffiti.

What have you learned from quarantine?

ELISA: Now when I meet friends or am simply outdoors, I try to remember the feelings I experienced in quarantine and how I longed for the everyday things of my daily life. I have learned to value and enjoy more what I took for granted in my day to day life.

Has anyone/anything changed the way you do or look at things this year?

ELISA: I believe that the COVID situation has left an uncertain future which has made people tend to idealize the past, looking back instead of forward. In my case, I am developing a project inspired by the New York night scene in the 90’s, taking chracteristizing elements of that time but with a renewed and current image.

How did you experience the shoot?

ELISA: The photoshoot was very natural, we spent the day outdoors doing the things we usually do with my friends in Alcoy. I think Isabeau (the creative director and the one who asked us to participate in this project) has been able to reflect our reality perfectly and it was a compliment for both me and my friends that she was interested in showing what and who we are and what we like to do.

 

Araceli Berenguer

Who are you?

ARACELI: Hello, my name is Araceli Berenguer. I was born and raised in a town in the interior of Alicante called Alcoy. Currently, I live and study Fashion Design here at EASD. At the age of 16, I lived for a year in the U.S. and that opened my mind a lot, so my main idea for the future is to leave this town as soon as I finish my studies, because I've spent my whole life here and I feel cramped. I think that thanks to having stayed here, I am the person that I am today, and I am proud of it. One of the best things that I take from Alcoy are the group of friends that I formed three years ago with my fellow students from the EASD.

What are your creative outlets?

ARACELI: I have always been very interested in the cinema, art and dance, so I knew that my life would be focused on one of those three areas. Fashion has been my weakness since I was little. My mother has always been passionate about fashion, she was the one who opened that world for me. Today I am not very enthusiastic about fashion, I have had many disappointments in the Design career. For a few years now, one of the things that arouses me the most is the kitchen. I really enjoy cooking; it is a time that helps me completely disconnect from reality and awakens a creativity in me that I have never witnessed before

How did you experience the quarantine?

ARACELI: The quarantine ... well for me, and I imagine that for many people as well, was quite horrible. I felt deprived of my freedom and that is something that overwhelms me a lot. At first it seemed like it was going to last for a short time and I honestly took it in as a few days of vacation, but as the days of confinement lengthened, I began to lose the little motivation I had, and my days passed behind a computer screen. What I liked the most was going to the supermarket, it was a time to relax, that is, I loved putting on makeup, doing my hair and choosing an outfit to match my vibe that day.

Did anything change the way you look at things this year?

ARACELI: COVID has helped me to see life in a more relaxed way, that is, it has taught me to take things more calmly, since at any moment everything can stop being as it was. Life is two days, and one is today, tomorrow we will not know if we will be here, so you have to do what makes you happy.

How did you find the shoot?

ARACELI: Well, the truth is that the day of the session was a very nice day, Isabeau was a lovely person, she treated us great, she made the session seem like something we didn’t have to do, that is, we were surrounded by friends of ours and nature, so it felt like a fun photoshoot when you party with your friends.

 

Photos+edits and interview by Isabeau Tseng