Finding Creative Voice in Fabric, Faith, and Home
In a quiet San Francisco studio, surrounded by fabric and paint, Claudia Ayleen Nicholas, B.F.A. Textile Design, dips her brush into a jar and starts painting. Her hand moves slowly at times, quickly at others—but always with meaning.
“I can’t remember ever not creating,” she said. “It’s how I understand the world.”
Ayleen, as she prefers to be called, is part of a new generation of fashion creatives who care deeply about purpose and values. While others may focus on trends or big brands, her path is shaped by sustainability, culture, and faith.
“I started feeling distant from the clothes I saw,” she said. “So, I began changing old pieces, painting on them, and thinking about how to make them feel more like me.”
At a time when more people are talking about making fashion more honest and thoughtful, Ayleen is using her art to express what matters to her—staying true to herself, her culture, and her beliefs.
Ayleen’s creative process is deeply personal. She doesn’t always begin with a clear plan or sketch. Instead, she lets her instincts guide her. This approach has grown even stronger through a collaboration with fashion designer Haemi Lee.
“Working with her has been such a blessing,” she said. “She’s patient, supportive, and also a Christian, so we understand each other on a deeper level. It feels like we’re creating something meaningful together.”
Even though there are stressful moments—like painting pieces at the last minute before a deadline—Ayleen says her partner always reminds her to stay calm and trust the process.
“She tells me, ‘God’s got it,’ and that really encourages me,” said Ayleen.
Even though Ayleen lives and studies in San Francisco now, her heart is in Mexico. That’s where she wants to move after graduation.
“Mexico inspires me the most,” she said. “My culture is the base of who I am—it shapes the way I see the world, the way I create, and the way I care about others.”
Her dream is simple but full of purpose: to design and print fabrics for small shops, work with personal clients, and create art for the home.
“I want to print on more than clothes,” she explained. “I want to bring art into people’s homes—places where they can really feel it and live with it.”
She has already started building connections with Mexican artists and makers who want to work with her. And even though she hasn’t had time to apply for internships locally, she feels clear about her path.
“My faith is everything right now,” she said. “I believe God is leading me, and I’m trying to follow His voice.”
With each hand-painted piece and printed fabric, Ayleen is creating her own place in the fashion world—one that is honest, thoughtful, and full of care.
And for someone who believes that beauty shows up not just in clothing but in how we live, that might be her most powerful creation of all.
Words by Michaela Andrews, B.F.A. Fashion Communication and Styling
Runway photography by Ed Jay.
Conceptual Makeup Lead: Chelsea Mari Heintzman. Hair & Makeup Team Produced by Brandi Moore Agency. Lead Hair: Brittany Jordan. Lead Makeup: Lilia Christo-Ferrigno . Makeup Product: Morphe.
