Juliana Gibbons isn’t on a quest to become the next big name in fashion — like Michael Kors or Marc Jacobs.

She simply wants to create pieces that everyday women can enjoy and find a way to get the fashion world receptive and excited about what she creates.

The 21-year-old is currently working on a fashion collection for her final year of study at New York City’s Parsons the New School for Design.

The university project will be overseen by professor Gabriel Asfour, of the Avant Garde label ‘ThreeAsfour’.

Her latest collection aims to redefine what people normally might constitute as ‘casual’ or ‘evening’ wear.

“I am interested in pushing the boundaries of what people are conventionally used to, by looking at contrasting fabrics such as leather with things like jersey or chiffon, or translating lingerie into ready to wear garments,” Ms Gibbons said.

“I want to dress the type of woman who is not afraid to stand out, my thesis collection is about doing just that.”

She counts herself “incredibly lucky” to have been able to work under Mr Asfour.

He has allowed her to have more creative licence than many other professors would and been supportive of her vision, she said.

“Some of my fellow students have been stuck with teachers who will only allow them to move in one direction, and that can be incredibly frustrating when you have to spend so much time and effort on completing something.

“I don’t do well with following rules, my work won’t turn out as well, and having a professor who understands and responds to that has been extremely valuable,” she said.

The collection is expected to be of industry quality, which is challenging in itself.

Not only does that requires a huge amount of accuracy; it also means paying very specific attention to detail, which isn’t one of Ms Gibbons’ strong suits.

But she said being able to have a finished product will make it all worth it at the end of the day.

She said: “Sewing and pattern making are dull, difficult, frustrating and time consuming tasks, and the only thing that makes spending that time and energy worth it, is seeing your finished product on a model, that’s the only time you can truly appreciate what it is that you’ve accomplished.”

The budding fashion designer said she has always been passionate about fashion and the arts.

However, she only decided to pursue it seriously after writing her entrance essays to university — and realising she wasn’t excited about any of the subjects she was applying for.

It finally clicked that she wouldn’t be happy doing anything else, so she changed course.

“I never was that naturally good at art,” she told The Royal Gazette. “Now I’ve learned how to draw, but it took a lot of practice.

“Before I came to university I thought that was necessary in order be successful in fashion, so I initially applied as a photography student.

“But after my first year I became even more sure that fashion design was what I wanted to do with my life, because I was able to see the incredible things that other students were accomplishing.”

Ms Gibbons also credits Bermudian style maven Shiona Turini, the founder of StyleBermuda, with setting her on the right path for success.

Ms Turini helped to open up doors so that the young designer could attend Teen Vogue’s Annual Fashion University Programme in 2011.

She was also instrumental in giving Ms Gibbons the push needed to apply for a mentorship programme at last year’s Emerging Designer Showcase, hosted by the City of Hamilton.

For that programme, Ms Gibbons was able to create a 22 piece collection of her designs and had the chance to work closely with Rajni Jaques, a fashion editor at Glamour Magazine.

“Style Bermuda not only gave me a very valuable look into the experiences of various aspects of the fashion industry,” Ms Gibbons said. “But it has helped me begin building a network of creative people who have been incredibly supportive.”

After graduating from fashion school in May, she plans to start her career in New York City.

The city has been a huge inspiration to her and provided her with an entirely new perspective and outlook on life, she said.

She has found the fashion industry can often be competitive and cut throat, but said when you are willing to persevere you can inch closer to your goals.

“If you have worked the hardest you can towards reaching your finished product, people will see it differently and more beautifully than they would have if you didn’t,” she explained.

“If you have a true connection with what you’re doing, you will be able to translate it to others. If you don’t believe it, nobody else will.”