2025 Designer Profile: Bettye Igbenebor
Bettye is a fourth-year majoring in Economics and minoring in Art.
Q: If you were presenting your line to an audience what would you say (Inspirations, motivations, what the line means to you, etc.)?
A: I would say my looks were inspired a lot by my transition out of being an athlete. I used to play volleyball and tennis, literally as my job. It was this whole identity crisis, changing and experimenting with style. So I wanted to find a way to represent that in my line. I took a lot of elements that you would usually find in athletic wear like elastic, bands, and pleats, and used them in more unconventional ways to represent how different parts of yourself change and carry over throughout time.
Q: How did you start designing? Is this your first time creating a line of work?
A: Yeah this is my first time with a full line of work. I started designing, like actually making garments, probably a year ago. Then I spent a lot of time last summer, sewing and learning more technical skills. I went to trade school in New York [ New York School of Design] and spent a lot of time doing that
Q: Do you plan to continue in fashion?
A: I'm applying for some associate and grad programs for fashion management, because I don't know if I want to design or be in fashion business, like operations, that type of stuff. It's tough being a fashion designer right now, so job security is good, but yeah, that's my plan after graduation.
Q: Does functionality influence your work?
A: For sure. That's just how I dress too. I need comfort. Physical comfortability is different, in terms of what looks unconventional, but I like physically being able to move and exist in what you're wearing.
Q: How has MODA involvement inspired your fashion career?
A: Moda definitely inspires me a lot, being around designers, but this is my first year designing, so I was kind of already there. But being around people creating and just talking to the designers is so motivational and exciting and just makes me excited for what's coming after.
Q: How do you see fashion influencing your other artistic pursuits and vice versa?
A: I want them to. I'm taking a fashion history class right now and it's really interesting. We're learning about how fashion speaks like a language, in history and into today. I'm hoping to incorporate that more and write about how fashion has changed today. Even with the prospect of working in the fashion industry, it's fundamentally so different because of how we consume now and art in general under capitalism. So, I think writing about that is something I want to focus on more and these history classes I'm taking will help me do that.
Q: Do you have any tips or suggestions for those looking to begin designing clothes/looking to break into fashion?
A: Don't take it too seriously. If you have an idea, just do it and execute it, and even if it's the worst thing ever, which it may be, just do something. Something that gives you a tangible start. Like, now I can show this to someone or I can post this, or have some sort of experience under my belt. You don't need to talk to anyone to do that.
Q: How did you learn garment construction?
I started with YouTube videos and I have a sewing machine, so I was just messing around with that. Then I learned how to pattern make and that was like a huge learning curve for me with designing because then you actually learn how to fit clothes to like a body.
Q: Stand-up or improv?
A: Improv
Q: Is the dress white and gold or blue and black?
A: Blue and black. It’s always been blue and black.
