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Hi! I am Stephanie Urbano P. I am a fashion & industrial designer based in Lima, Perú.

I am a multidisciplinary designer with an interest in the development of textile products, apparel and accessories, research and development of innovative products and services; with knowledge of diverse materials and manufacturing processes, and end-to-end project management focused on user needs. My personal design practice is linked to sustainable design, circular design, responsible production and consumption; as well as digital fabrication, textile manipulation and the study and application of craft techniques.

My background

I was born and raised in Huancayo, Junín, a province at 3500m.a.s.l. where nature and culture meet at every step. As a multidisciplinary designer and artist by vocation, I like to approach projects from an exploratory, collaborative and divergent point of view. The proposals I develop are empathetic with people and the environment. I question all the possibilities of available resources and the impact of the final product before, during and after its life cycle. The sustainable and social design approach governs my work.

As an artist, manual techniques are my favorite, and I complement them with different skills and digital programs, combining tradition and technology.

I would say that part of the influence I have today comes from the fact that, during my first 15 years, I was fortunate enough to live near a rural area, in a setting surrounded by mountains and rivers—what we would describe as the countryside, somewhat removed from the city. That connection with nature had a profound impact on me. On top of that, i was influenced by my mother worked in clothing design and garment making, so I grew up surrounded by that kind of creative practice..

I think that, eventually, all of these interests and influences began to converge and, little by little, shaped the areas I became interested in. So, in a way, almost without consciously intending to, I have ended up developing projects that follow that same direction: ecosystems, considering both living and non-living elements—not only from a formal perspective but also within their sociocultural contexts—as well as well-being and its broader implications. Another theme I often explore is material culture, particularly crafts, and the human and non-human actors involved in their practices.

The illustrations were saved from Pinterest, and the photos are my own.

At the same time, I am always open to expanding my horizons and continuing to learn. That is something I find particularly interesting about Fabricademy, because I have learned that you do not necessarily have to confine yourself to a single field in order to propose ideas or address a particular problem. This is especially true when we think about design, which allows us to approach problems from many different perspectives.

Among other influences that I also find important to mention, because they can emerge in different ways throughout the work I do, are, first of all, the Andean worldview and the use of medicinal plants, which are closely connected to practices that have been present in my family. And, when it comes to artistic movements, some of the ones that interest me the most are Impressionism, Renaissance and Art Nouveau. I am also very interested in the evolution of industrial design and in the way materials have transformed alongside the development of technology itself.

I find it fascinating how human beings have related to their environment throughout history, and how we can trace that relationship through material culture. In a way, I feel that today we are returning, to some extent, to where we began, trying to reconnect with our environment in a much deeper and more conscious way. This is especially relevant because our actions have a significant impact, and we are capable of altering different ecosystems. This is also where the idea of non-human actors comes into play, and how they are affected by our actions. For example, Neri Oxman is someone whose work I find particularly interesting in this regard. I am drawn to the way her work explores this idea of reconnecting with nature and finding ways of working together with it and for it.

Previous work

From my personal interests and my academic background in design, I had the opportunity to develop different projects focused on industrial design and apparel, here are my favorite project and the link to my portfolio for those who are curious.

Flexia

The outstanding value of this backpack lies in its ability to expand and contract intuitively and aesthetically, thanks to an innovative textile manipulation based on tessellations. These folds allow the user to increase or decrease the width and length of the backpack, transforming its volume as needed, without compromising the durability and elegance of the design.