"You do the best you can every day, every season."

What drew you to fashion design?

I always wanted to do something creative but I was at the same time after a sense of security, due to my upbringing and coming from an immigrant family. I initially thought I was going to study fine arts until I realized that I wouldn’t be able to pay my bills with that. I actually went into the fine arts summer program at Parsons to see what it was like but quickly realized that everyone there was in the fashion program. I think it was the practical aspect that made me gravitate toward fashion.

When Parsons asked me if I’d like to do my final senior project in menswear, the practical side of me thought: “Well, I’m graduating with 60-something other students, and I would be one of only a handful of menswear designers. I basically won’t have...