People of Central: Pablo Covarrubias

Story by Anna Konen

Photos courtesy of Pablo Covarrubias

The discovery of fashion, a unique outlook on art, and a passion for sustainability altered the original path senior Pablo Covarrubias came to college on.

Covarrubias is majoring in fashion design with a minor in visual merchandising.

When deciding his education was turning to the route of fashion design, Covarrubias realized he, “likes the art of fashion design and actually making things.”

“I am not really into the whole corporate side, but I like the craftsmanship part,” he said.

However, fashion design was not always a part of his plan.

Going into his freshman year at Central Michigan University, Covarrubias was majoring in marketing with no idea of where it would take him or really a clear picture of his goals.

Fast forward four years, and now, Covarrubias is a craftsman, specializing in upcycling.

His love for fashion design grew from his love of making things, and design just made sense for him.

“My whole life I really enjoyed working with my hands, taking a variety of art classes, like woodworking,” Covarrubias said.

It wasn’t until he started down a kind of rabbit hole and found design that he knew he loved to create.

“Most people discover clothes because they like to dress up I mean who doesn’t, but for me, I realized there was an art behind it, and I started because of that,” Covarrubias said.

Covarrubias, like many other students, took the opportunity of Covid-19 as a chance for a gap year furthering his love of fashion into the real world. In this year, he worked with RC Caylan– a couture designer in Grand Rapids and Dos Jefes.

It is here that he learned how to upcycle and get the most out of the smallest amount of fabric-which has inspired many of Covarrubias’ designs.

When thinking about his experience with making clothes Covarrubias frequently reminds himself of the privilege it is to be able to make these art pieces.

“It is a privilege to be able to make clothes, not a lot of people can say that they can make a dress,” said Covarrubias. “When I am doing an assignment I check myself, if you told me at the beginning of my freshman year I would be making clothes, I would not have believed you.”

Covarrubias leaves the university with a final message to students as an Earth-friendly designer, “stop buying clothes, stop buying Shein.”

Watch the 2022 Threads Fashion show to see Covarrubias’ designs, he is excited to do it and “do it well.”  Follow his story and his designs on Instagram @pabb24 and @dos_jefes.

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