About Me
Alina is currently an Associate Designer at Royal Robbins where she designs outdoor apparel for men and women. She has six years of experience in the industry; she previously worked as a Women’s Designer at Mata Traders and interned at Maria Pinto, in Chicago, and Araks, in New York City. She graduated with a BFA in Fashion Design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2017 and previously studied psychology and painting at Carnegie Mellon University.
A more extensive resume can be found here.
ABOUT MY WORK
As a women’s apparel and color designer, I specialize in partnering with purpose-driven, start-up culture brands that keep the planet and their communities in mind. My work is grounded in empathy, curiosity, and the belief that clothing can help people feel more fully like themselves.
In my 20s, I worked in retail across several different brands, building relationships with all kinds of women. I saw that when someone put on an outfit that made them feel the way they wanted to feel their face lit up. Their energy shifted. How they wanted to feel differed from person to person; sometimes they wanted to feel comfortable, sometimes ready for adventure, sometimes cool, sometimes desirable, sometimes professional. But the through-line was always the same: they wanted to feel like themselves -or maybe, a greater, grander version of themselves they couldn’t quite reach alone.
That experience taught me the most important skill I bring to design today: the ability to ask questions. To truly understand my client - how she wants to feel, what she wants to do, how she sees herself, and how she wants to be seen.
My second job is to make decisions. Thousands of tiny decisions - about color, fabric, fit, and feeling. To spend an hour debating with my team the exact shade of pink to introduce next season: how red it should be, how yellow, how soft or electric it needs to feel to live alongside the rest of the collection. Whether it’s exciting or grounding, authentic or bold. These are the kinds of decisions that may never be consciously noticed, but that add up to create that moment when a woman lights up as she puts the piece on.
Fashion is powerful that way. It transforms us. It carries us through interviews, journeys, stages, and stories. It helps us move, climb, stretch, and arrive. I design for that moment of transformation.
If you're building a brand that cares deeply about its customer, community, and impact - I’d love to connect.