Fashion can easily be used as a way to define oneself. And that’s exactly what Central Pennsylvania-native, Bianca Zidik, does with her life.
At the age of 21, Zidik has spent her life working on a goal she set for herself at a very young age: creating her name in the fashion industry.
Born and raised in the small town of Palmyra, Bianca started designing and producing handmade garments at a very young age. To this day, her journey to become an elite designer in the fashion empires of the world is well on its way. I was able to talk with her to check in with her progress thus far.
Q: How did you first get started with fashion?
A: At the age of 12, I started my first business called “Fancy That by Bianca Zidik” sewing custom aprons over summer. I started making custom prom dresses in 9th grade and still do custom prom dresses, bowties, ties, vests and clutches. I was self-taught until high school when I took a class with Mrs. Pauline Habegger. At 16, I left David’s Bridal and I attended a pre-college program in NYC at LIM College to learn fashion marketing and visual display. At 18, I received the Passion for Fashion Scholarship award and moved to Chicago, IL to study at the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: My philosophy as a designer is fun, funky and free-spirited for the fashion forward woman. “When the outside looks as good as the inside, that’s the quality I aim for.”
Q: How often do you find yourself sewing?
A: I sew just about every single day. I got my Bachelor’s degree almost three years ago. I over did it; I was taking five classes at a time, and interning right after class, then sewing my collections. I’ve sewn every single day for the past three years. There were many late nights, but all the hard work was worth it… I’m showing at NYFW!!
Q: What are your biggest achievements so far on your way to the big leagues?
A: In 2015 at my school's fashion show I won Honorable Mention for my evening-wear collection. In 2016 I was selected as one of the few students from my school to show my Carnaby Street Ready-to-Wear collection at the Driehaus Design Initiative for Fashion Excellence. A week later at my school's 2016 fashion show I won "Best of Show." Recently, I was selected as One of the Nine students across America to show my Carnaby Street Collection at NYFW (New York Fashion Week) this coming September 2016.
Q: What would you say is your favorite fabric to work with and why?
A: My favorite fabric to work with is any kind of woven. I’m not a knit-wear designer. I actually like sewing things that are complicated like corsets, sewing three layers with metal boning, a center front busks and hammering in grommets and lastly, binding (which I make my own) and “stitch in the ditch” for clean finishes.
Q: What kind of pieces do you design?
A: I’ve always designed evening wear. I have a love for making dresses. The past year I’ve been making ready-to-wear/everyday wear. It’s really fun designing things you would wear on a daily basis.
Q: Who are your fashion inspiration icons?
A: Twiggy and Betsey Johnson. I have always been inspired by Betsey Johnson. At the age of nine, I saw her fun clothes and I just needed to learn how to make my own fun clothes, too.
Q: How were you able to make your dreams a reality? A: By not giving up. My parents have always told me “if you can dream it, you can live it.”
Q: What projects are you currently working on?
A: I'm currently doing alterations, making custom apparel for some clients, and working on finishing my last look for NYFW. I'm going to start making a bunch of faux fur coats to sell for winter and working on finding a manufacturer to help with production to sell wholesale to boutiques.
Q: Any plans for the near future?
A: I hope to sell my new collections wholesale very soon. I’m currently offering alterations in my hometown as well, and love doing custom apparel for special occasions.
Q: Do you have any fashion do’s or don’ts that you’d like to share with Susquehanna Style?
A: “When did the legging become a pant?!” My favorite sentence that came out of Tim Gunn’s mouth when I met him in Lancaster this past year. “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak” so make that a good first impression.
To learn more about Bianca Zidik and her fashion-forward lifestyle, visit her website at www.biancazidik.com.