I want to contribute to a more just and environmentally friendly society. That’s why I chose a DNMADe (Bachelor of Design and Social Innovation), a program that aims to train designers capable of addressing social, cultural, and environmental challenges. I discovered a user-oriented methodology, allowing those most directly affected by a need to actively participate in finding solutions. I was able to explore this approach further during my graduation project.
Since design is a creative discipline directly linked to materials, I have tested different manufacturing techniques and developed a strong interest in experimentation, prototyping, and object making. I have developed a certain interest in ceramics and textile materials.
Memorable reading: Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work by Matthew Crawford
In 2020, I decided to complete two internships with Brussels ceramicists. For three months, this activity became part of my daily life, allowing me to perfect my skills.
After obtaining my DNMADe, I wanted to broaden my design skills by becoming an expert in a manufacturing field. I then turned to a skill that had piqued my curiosity since high school: sewing. Completing a vocational certificate (CAP) at the Institut Français de la Mode (French Institute of Fashion) with a work-study program at Isabel Marant from 2022 to 2024, I was able to learn tailoring and dressmaking assembly techniques. This experience gave me an inside look at a hierarchical and organized production method, where the importance of prototyping takes on its full meaning. Since September 2024, I have been working on a permanent contract at Isabel Marant.
Between my DNMADe and this CAP, I took a gap year because I wanted to gain practical experience in the social sector. I spent 10 months in Lisbon, initially working in a vocational high school, working closely with educators and teachers. I then moved to a preschool with some students with hearing impairments or autism spectrum disorders.
Observing and supporting the teaching staff in these establishments made me more aware of how to energize a school and spark students’ curiosity and desire to learn. I also worked on my group management and how I interacted with children and adolescents, adapting to their temperaments to focus their energy and enhance their uniqueness.
During this volunteer period, I was curious to discover a new culture, new landscapes, unique architecture, and the Portuguese language. Living in a large house with other young Europeans, Turks, and Armenians, I was also very excited by the intercultural mix that shaped my daily life.
All these professional and personal choices were accompanied by reading, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts, and participating in various events that refined my analysis of the current system.
Vectors of reflection and initiators of projects, they intertwine with other common threads of my journey. Among them, one activity has been with me since I was seven: basketball. This sport absorbs me. When I play it, I escape my daily reality for a while to enter a world of concentration, agility, and solidarity. It has also given me a lot by allowing me to surpass myself mentally and physically, as well as to fully invest myself in a championship and a team.