To learn more about this effort, Lisbeth Arias, Descalza, and the Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program, please read the story below (originally published July 15, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/h3>\n\n\n\nBy D’Lyn Ford<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NC State alumna Lisbeth Carolina Arias designs custom clothing with handwoven fabric from Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her company, Descalza, connects her with an international community of people who have shaped her life: friends and mentors from 4-H in North Carolina; a co-op in El Salvador, where she was born; weavers in Guatemala she met during an NC State internship; and customers in New York, where she moved for a year to gain design experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the pandemic began this spring, Arias made alterations to her company, which sells online and through pop-up stores in North Carolina and New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince Descalza makes statement pieces, these pieces are usually worn whenever you know the spotlight\u2019s going to be on you, so most of these events are very special events, from weddings to galas to prom to formals,\u201d Arias says. \u201cWhen COVID-19 happened, basically these events stopped happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plans for a pop-up store in California were canceled. Home with a newborn, Arias and her mother, a skilled seamstress, saw other clothing companies making masks. So did her social media followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said, \u2018If customers are sending me messages on Instagram asking for these, then there\u2019s a demand for it,\u2019\u201d Arias says. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t want to just make these masks. Descalza\u2019s very centered around community. I wanted to find a way where we could work together with someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Ever](\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2020\/07\/Ever-Jimenez-Munoz-v2.jpg\")
Ever Jimenez Mu\u00f1oz wears a fabric mask from Descalza at Nichols and Nichols Farms in Wilson County, distributed through N.C. Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program. Bilingual educator Roberto Rosales explained COVID-19 precautions to H-2A workers.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nShe talked with longtime friend Roberto Rosales, an educator with North Carolina Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program<\/a>. Rosales works with farmers and farm labor contractors to provide workers with instruction on safety practices and protective equipment, including masks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Foundation in 4-H<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s no wonder Arias thought of Extension when she wanted to contribute to the community. She has deep roots in 4-H and Juntos, two other programs offered through NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When she was 9, a woman from her church in Sanford started a folklorico group, sharing dance traditions from Mexico and Central America. Arias was drawn to the dancing and the colorful dresses. Practices took place in garages and parking lots \u2013 until leaders asked Bill Stone, then a Lee County Extension agent, about providing rehearsal space. Stone agreed and asked if he could offer 4-H programs<\/a> to the group, and a partnership began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since its start in CALS, Juntos<\/a> (Spanish for \u201ctogether\u201d), has expanded to other states and is managed by NC State\u2019s Division of Academic and Student Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Internships and Homework<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhile studying fashion and textile design at NC State, Arias, who came to the U.S. from El Salvador at age 2, found new ways to connect with her culture and her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had several internship experiences, one with Mayan women in Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWorking with these women left an imprint on me, and I knew I wanted to go back to those textiles. I just didn\u2019t know how,\u201d Arias says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Annett-Hitchcock, an associate professor of textile and apparel, technology and management, first encouraged Arias to follow her instincts. Arias found more inspiration at the North Carolina Museum of Art\u2019s Ebony Fashion exhibition, where she met Precious Lovell, then an associate professor of art and design at NC State. \u201cI asked her to be my mentor because of the African textiles I saw on her table,\u201d Arias explains. \u201cI knew she was just as passionate about indigenous textiles as I was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And her mother, who had worked as a seamstress for manufacturing companies, had valuable knowledge to share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t get to go to school when she got to this country; she went straight to work,\u201d Arias says. \u201cGoing to school was my job. A lot of times she felt the language barrier holding her back from helping me with my studies, but when I started to show interest in apparel development and taking classes on how to sew, she felt that finally she was able to help me with my homework, because when it comes to sewing, you don\u2019t need a language, you just need your hands and your tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe felt like she was contributing to my education. In reality, she\u2019s always been contributing, just having her support, but she felt that now there was something that we can bond with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After earning her degree in 2015, at the urging of mentors, Arias moved to New York for a year to get fashion industry experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBasically, what I got out of New York was validation, that I was capable of creating designs that were aesthetically pleasing, that were functional,\u201d Arias says, adding, \u201cI had this epiphany that if I can work this hard for someone else\u2019s dream, then I can work this hard for mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working Barefoot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Masks](\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2020\/07\/Descalza-mask_5colors-272x300.jpg\")
Descalza sells masks like these as part of the buy one, give one project with N.C. Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Safety and Health Education Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nArias returned to the inspiration of the Guatemalan weavers. She found a group of weavers for her business through her former design professor and connected with another weaving co-op in El Salvador on a trip to visit her family. The bright, woven fabric was a perfect fit with her design vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I started Descalza, I knew that fashion is a way that we express ourselves, and as immigrants in this country, we\u2019re always trying to move forward but at the same time, we don\u2019t want to let go of our roots. These textiles represent that. They kind of reconnect us to our history, to our ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She launched Descalza<\/a> in 2017. Why did she choose the name, which means \u201cbarefoot\u201d in Spanish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s a goal Arias aspires to reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fashion designer and owner of Descalza<\/a>, began creating and selling face masks with the fabric she typically uses to create special occasion garments. Arias, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in fashion and textile design<\/a> in 2015, says this pivot wasn\u2019t just about keeping her business stable. Sales of these masks have also provided income to the Latin American artisans who weave Descalza\u2019s fabrics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even with the challenges that her business faced, Arias knew others were struggling more, so she stepped up to help. For each mask sold, she has given one away to farmworkers in North Carolina. That mask also came with information about how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program at NC State\u2019s North Carolina Cooperative Extension<\/a> partnered with Arias to organize the effort and hand out the masks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn More<\/h3>\n\n\n\nTo learn more about this effort, Lisbeth Arias, Descalza, and the Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program, please read the story below (originally published July 15, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/h3>\n\n\n\nBy D'Lyn Ford<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NC State alumna Lisbeth Carolina Arias designs custom clothing with handwoven fabric from Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her company, Descalza, connects her with an international community of people who have shaped her life: friends and mentors from 4-H in North Carolina; a co-op in El Salvador, where she was born; weavers in Guatemala she met during an NC State internship; and customers in New York, where she moved for a year to gain design experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the pandemic began this spring, Arias made alterations to her company, which sells online and through pop-up stores in North Carolina and New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince Descalza makes statement pieces, these pieces are usually worn whenever you know the spotlight\u2019s going to be on you, so most of these events are very special events, from weddings to galas to prom to formals,\u201d Arias says. \u201cWhen COVID-19 happened, basically these events stopped happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plans for a pop-up store in California were canceled. Home with a newborn, Arias and her mother, a skilled seamstress, saw other clothing companies making masks. So did her social media followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said, \u2018If customers are sending me messages on Instagram asking for these, then there\u2019s a demand for it,\u2019\u201d Arias says. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t want to just make these masks. Descalza\u2019s very centered around community. I wanted to find a way where we could work together with someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ever Jimenez Mu\u00f1oz wears a fabric mask from Descalza at Nichols and Nichols Farms in Wilson County, distributed through N.C. Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program. Bilingual educator Roberto Rosales explained COVID-19 precautions to H-2A workers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nShe talked with longtime friend Roberto Rosales, an educator with North Carolina Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program<\/a>. Rosales works with farmers and farm labor contractors to provide workers with instruction on safety practices and protective equipment, including masks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Foundation in 4-H<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s no wonder Arias thought of Extension when she wanted to contribute to the community. She has deep roots in 4-H and Juntos, two other programs offered through NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When she was 9, a woman from her church in Sanford started a folklorico group, sharing dance traditions from Mexico and Central America. Arias was drawn to the dancing and the colorful dresses. Practices took place in garages and parking lots \u2013 until leaders asked Bill Stone, then a Lee County Extension agent, about providing rehearsal space. Stone agreed and asked if he could offer 4-H programs<\/a> to the group, and a partnership began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since its start in CALS, Juntos<\/a> (Spanish for \u201ctogether\u201d), has expanded to other states and is managed by NC State\u2019s Division of Academic and Student Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Internships and Homework<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhile studying fashion and textile design at NC State, Arias, who came to the U.S. from El Salvador at age 2, found new ways to connect with her culture and her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had several internship experiences, one with Mayan women in Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWorking with these women left an imprint on me, and I knew I wanted to go back to those textiles. I just didn\u2019t know how,\u201d Arias says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Annett-Hitchcock, an associate professor of textile and apparel, technology and management, first encouraged Arias to follow her instincts. Arias found more inspiration at the North Carolina Museum of Art\u2019s Ebony Fashion exhibition, where she met Precious Lovell, then an associate professor of art and design at NC State. \u201cI asked her to be my mentor because of the African textiles I saw on her table,\u201d Arias explains. \u201cI knew she was just as passionate about indigenous textiles as I was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And her mother, who had worked as a seamstress for manufacturing companies, had valuable knowledge to share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t get to go to school when she got to this country; she went straight to work,\u201d Arias says. \u201cGoing to school was my job. A lot of times she felt the language barrier holding her back from helping me with my studies, but when I started to show interest in apparel development and taking classes on how to sew, she felt that finally she was able to help me with my homework, because when it comes to sewing, you don\u2019t need a language, you just need your hands and your tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe felt like she was contributing to my education. In reality, she\u2019s always been contributing, just having her support, but she felt that now there was something that we can bond with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After earning her degree in 2015, at the urging of mentors, Arias moved to New York for a year to get fashion industry experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBasically, what I got out of New York was validation, that I was capable of creating designs that were aesthetically pleasing, that were functional,\u201d Arias says, adding, \u201cI had this epiphany that if I can work this hard for someone else\u2019s dream, then I can work this hard for mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working Barefoot<\/h3>\n\n\n\nDescalza sells masks like these as part of the buy one, give one project with N.C. Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Safety and Health Education Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nArias returned to the inspiration of the Guatemalan weavers. She found a group of weavers for her business through her former design professor and connected with another weaving co-op in El Salvador on a trip to visit her family. The bright, woven fabric was a perfect fit with her design vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I started Descalza, I knew that fashion is a way that we express ourselves, and as immigrants in this country, we\u2019re always trying to move forward but at the same time, we don\u2019t want to let go of our roots. These textiles represent that. They kind of reconnect us to our history, to our ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She launched Descalza<\/a> in 2017. Why did she choose the name, which means \u201cbarefoot\u201d in Spanish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She talked with longtime friend Roberto Rosales, an educator with North Carolina Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program<\/a>. Rosales works with farmers and farm labor contractors to provide workers with instruction on safety practices and protective equipment, including masks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Foundation in 4-H<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s no wonder Arias thought of Extension when she wanted to contribute to the community. She has deep roots in 4-H and Juntos, two other programs offered through NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When she was 9, a woman from her church in Sanford started a folklorico group, sharing dance traditions from Mexico and Central America. Arias was drawn to the dancing and the colorful dresses. Practices took place in garages and parking lots \u2013 until leaders asked Bill Stone, then a Lee County Extension agent, about providing rehearsal space. Stone agreed and asked if he could offer 4-H programs<\/a> to the group, and a partnership began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since its start in CALS, Juntos<\/a> (Spanish for \u201ctogether\u201d), has expanded to other states and is managed by NC State\u2019s Division of Academic and Student Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Internships and Homework<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhile studying fashion and textile design at NC State, Arias, who came to the U.S. from El Salvador at age 2, found new ways to connect with her culture and her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had several internship experiences, one with Mayan women in Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWorking with these women left an imprint on me, and I knew I wanted to go back to those textiles. I just didn\u2019t know how,\u201d Arias says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Annett-Hitchcock, an associate professor of textile and apparel, technology and management, first encouraged Arias to follow her instincts. Arias found more inspiration at the North Carolina Museum of Art\u2019s Ebony Fashion exhibition, where she met Precious Lovell, then an associate professor of art and design at NC State. \u201cI asked her to be my mentor because of the African textiles I saw on her table,\u201d Arias explains. \u201cI knew she was just as passionate about indigenous textiles as I was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And her mother, who had worked as a seamstress for manufacturing companies, had valuable knowledge to share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t get to go to school when she got to this country; she went straight to work,\u201d Arias says. \u201cGoing to school was my job. A lot of times she felt the language barrier holding her back from helping me with my studies, but when I started to show interest in apparel development and taking classes on how to sew, she felt that finally she was able to help me with my homework, because when it comes to sewing, you don\u2019t need a language, you just need your hands and your tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe felt like she was contributing to my education. In reality, she\u2019s always been contributing, just having her support, but she felt that now there was something that we can bond with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After earning her degree in 2015, at the urging of mentors, Arias moved to New York for a year to get fashion industry experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBasically, what I got out of New York was validation, that I was capable of creating designs that were aesthetically pleasing, that were functional,\u201d Arias says, adding, \u201cI had this epiphany that if I can work this hard for someone else\u2019s dream, then I can work this hard for mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working Barefoot<\/h3>\n\n\n\nDescalza sells masks like these as part of the buy one, give one project with N.C. Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Safety and Health Education Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nArias returned to the inspiration of the Guatemalan weavers. She found a group of weavers for her business through her former design professor and connected with another weaving co-op in El Salvador on a trip to visit her family. The bright, woven fabric was a perfect fit with her design vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I started Descalza, I knew that fashion is a way that we express ourselves, and as immigrants in this country, we\u2019re always trying to move forward but at the same time, we don\u2019t want to let go of our roots. These textiles represent that. They kind of reconnect us to our history, to our ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She launched Descalza<\/a> in 2017. Why did she choose the name, which means \u201cbarefoot\u201d in Spanish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s a goal Arias aspires to reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fashion designer and owner of Descalza<\/a>, began creating and selling face masks with the fabric she typically uses to create special occasion garments. Arias, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in fashion and textile design<\/a> in 2015, says this pivot wasn\u2019t just about keeping her business stable. Sales of these masks have also provided income to the Latin American artisans who weave Descalza\u2019s fabrics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even with the challenges that her business faced, Arias knew others were struggling more, so she stepped up to help. For each mask sold, she has given one away to farmworkers in North Carolina. That mask also came with information about how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program at NC State\u2019s North Carolina Cooperative Extension<\/a> partnered with Arias to organize the effort and hand out the masks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn More<\/h3>\n\n\n\nTo learn more about this effort, Lisbeth Arias, Descalza, and the Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program, please read the story below (originally published July 15, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/h3>\n\n\n\nBy D'Lyn Ford<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NC State alumna Lisbeth Carolina Arias designs custom clothing with handwoven fabric from Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her company, Descalza, connects her with an international community of people who have shaped her life: friends and mentors from 4-H in North Carolina; a co-op in El Salvador, where she was born; weavers in Guatemala she met during an NC State internship; and customers in New York, where she moved for a year to gain design experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the pandemic began this spring, Arias made alterations to her company, which sells online and through pop-up stores in North Carolina and New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince Descalza makes statement pieces, these pieces are usually worn whenever you know the spotlight\u2019s going to be on you, so most of these events are very special events, from weddings to galas to prom to formals,\u201d Arias says. \u201cWhen COVID-19 happened, basically these events stopped happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plans for a pop-up store in California were canceled. Home with a newborn, Arias and her mother, a skilled seamstress, saw other clothing companies making masks. So did her social media followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said, \u2018If customers are sending me messages on Instagram asking for these, then there\u2019s a demand for it,\u2019\u201d Arias says. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t want to just make these masks. Descalza\u2019s very centered around community. I wanted to find a way where we could work together with someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ever Jimenez Mu\u00f1oz wears a fabric mask from Descalza at Nichols and Nichols Farms in Wilson County, distributed through N.C. Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program. Bilingual educator Roberto Rosales explained COVID-19 precautions to H-2A workers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nShe talked with longtime friend Roberto Rosales, an educator with North Carolina Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program<\/a>. Rosales works with farmers and farm labor contractors to provide workers with instruction on safety practices and protective equipment, including masks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Foundation in 4-H<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s no wonder Arias thought of Extension when she wanted to contribute to the community. She has deep roots in 4-H and Juntos, two other programs offered through NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When she was 9, a woman from her church in Sanford started a folklorico group, sharing dance traditions from Mexico and Central America. Arias was drawn to the dancing and the colorful dresses. Practices took place in garages and parking lots \u2013 until leaders asked Bill Stone, then a Lee County Extension agent, about providing rehearsal space. Stone agreed and asked if he could offer 4-H programs<\/a> to the group, and a partnership began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since its start in CALS, Juntos<\/a> (Spanish for \u201ctogether\u201d), has expanded to other states and is managed by NC State\u2019s Division of Academic and Student Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Internships and Homework<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhile studying fashion and textile design at NC State, Arias, who came to the U.S. from El Salvador at age 2, found new ways to connect with her culture and her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had several internship experiences, one with Mayan women in Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWorking with these women left an imprint on me, and I knew I wanted to go back to those textiles. I just didn\u2019t know how,\u201d Arias says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Annett-Hitchcock, an associate professor of textile and apparel, technology and management, first encouraged Arias to follow her instincts. Arias found more inspiration at the North Carolina Museum of Art\u2019s Ebony Fashion exhibition, where she met Precious Lovell, then an associate professor of art and design at NC State. \u201cI asked her to be my mentor because of the African textiles I saw on her table,\u201d Arias explains. \u201cI knew she was just as passionate about indigenous textiles as I was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And her mother, who had worked as a seamstress for manufacturing companies, had valuable knowledge to share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t get to go to school when she got to this country; she went straight to work,\u201d Arias says. \u201cGoing to school was my job. A lot of times she felt the language barrier holding her back from helping me with my studies, but when I started to show interest in apparel development and taking classes on how to sew, she felt that finally she was able to help me with my homework, because when it comes to sewing, you don\u2019t need a language, you just need your hands and your tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe felt like she was contributing to my education. In reality, she\u2019s always been contributing, just having her support, but she felt that now there was something that we can bond with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After earning her degree in 2015, at the urging of mentors, Arias moved to New York for a year to get fashion industry experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBasically, what I got out of New York was validation, that I was capable of creating designs that were aesthetically pleasing, that were functional,\u201d Arias says, adding, \u201cI had this epiphany that if I can work this hard for someone else\u2019s dream, then I can work this hard for mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working Barefoot<\/h3>\n\n\n\nDescalza sells masks like these as part of the buy one, give one project with N.C. Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Safety and Health Education Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nArias returned to the inspiration of the Guatemalan weavers. She found a group of weavers for her business through her former design professor and connected with another weaving co-op in El Salvador on a trip to visit her family. The bright, woven fabric was a perfect fit with her design vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I started Descalza, I knew that fashion is a way that we express ourselves, and as immigrants in this country, we\u2019re always trying to move forward but at the same time, we don\u2019t want to let go of our roots. These textiles represent that. They kind of reconnect us to our history, to our ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She launched Descalza<\/a> in 2017. Why did she choose the name, which means \u201cbarefoot\u201d in Spanish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arias returned to the inspiration of the Guatemalan weavers. She found a group of weavers for her business through her former design professor and connected with another weaving co-op in El Salvador on a trip to visit her family. The bright, woven fabric was a perfect fit with her design vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I started Descalza, I knew that fashion is a way that we express ourselves, and as immigrants in this country, we\u2019re always trying to move forward but at the same time, we don\u2019t want to let go of our roots. These textiles represent that. They kind of reconnect us to our history, to our ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She launched Descalza<\/a> in 2017. Why did she choose the name, which means \u201cbarefoot\u201d in Spanish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s a goal Arias aspires to reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fashion designer and owner of Descalza<\/a>, began creating and selling face masks with the fabric she typically uses to create special occasion garments. Arias, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in fashion and textile design<\/a> in 2015, says this pivot wasn\u2019t just about keeping her business stable. Sales of these masks have also provided income to the Latin American artisans who weave Descalza\u2019s fabrics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even with the challenges that her business faced, Arias knew others were struggling more, so she stepped up to help. For each mask sold, she has given one away to farmworkers in North Carolina. That mask also came with information about how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program at NC State\u2019s North Carolina Cooperative Extension<\/a> partnered with Arias to organize the effort and hand out the masks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn More<\/h3>\n\n\n\nTo learn more about this effort, Lisbeth Arias, Descalza, and the Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program, please read the story below (originally published July 15, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/h3>\n\n\n\nBy D'Lyn Ford<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NC State alumna Lisbeth Carolina Arias designs custom clothing with handwoven fabric from Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her company, Descalza, connects her with an international community of people who have shaped her life: friends and mentors from 4-H in North Carolina; a co-op in El Salvador, where she was born; weavers in Guatemala she met during an NC State internship; and customers in New York, where she moved for a year to gain design experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the pandemic began this spring, Arias made alterations to her company, which sells online and through pop-up stores in North Carolina and New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince Descalza makes statement pieces, these pieces are usually worn whenever you know the spotlight\u2019s going to be on you, so most of these events are very special events, from weddings to galas to prom to formals,\u201d Arias says. \u201cWhen COVID-19 happened, basically these events stopped happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plans for a pop-up store in California were canceled. Home with a newborn, Arias and her mother, a skilled seamstress, saw other clothing companies making masks. So did her social media followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said, \u2018If customers are sending me messages on Instagram asking for these, then there\u2019s a demand for it,\u2019\u201d Arias says. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t want to just make these masks. Descalza\u2019s very centered around community. I wanted to find a way where we could work together with someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ever Jimenez Mu\u00f1oz wears a fabric mask from Descalza at Nichols and Nichols Farms in Wilson County, distributed through N.C. Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program. Bilingual educator Roberto Rosales explained COVID-19 precautions to H-2A workers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nShe talked with longtime friend Roberto Rosales, an educator with North Carolina Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program<\/a>. Rosales works with farmers and farm labor contractors to provide workers with instruction on safety practices and protective equipment, including masks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Foundation in 4-H<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s no wonder Arias thought of Extension when she wanted to contribute to the community. She has deep roots in 4-H and Juntos, two other programs offered through NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When she was 9, a woman from her church in Sanford started a folklorico group, sharing dance traditions from Mexico and Central America. Arias was drawn to the dancing and the colorful dresses. Practices took place in garages and parking lots \u2013 until leaders asked Bill Stone, then a Lee County Extension agent, about providing rehearsal space. Stone agreed and asked if he could offer 4-H programs<\/a> to the group, and a partnership began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since its start in CALS, Juntos<\/a> (Spanish for \u201ctogether\u201d), has expanded to other states and is managed by NC State\u2019s Division of Academic and Student Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Internships and Homework<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhile studying fashion and textile design at NC State, Arias, who came to the U.S. from El Salvador at age 2, found new ways to connect with her culture and her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had several internship experiences, one with Mayan women in Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWorking with these women left an imprint on me, and I knew I wanted to go back to those textiles. I just didn\u2019t know how,\u201d Arias says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Annett-Hitchcock, an associate professor of textile and apparel, technology and management, first encouraged Arias to follow her instincts. Arias found more inspiration at the North Carolina Museum of Art\u2019s Ebony Fashion exhibition, where she met Precious Lovell, then an associate professor of art and design at NC State. \u201cI asked her to be my mentor because of the African textiles I saw on her table,\u201d Arias explains. \u201cI knew she was just as passionate about indigenous textiles as I was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And her mother, who had worked as a seamstress for manufacturing companies, had valuable knowledge to share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t get to go to school when she got to this country; she went straight to work,\u201d Arias says. \u201cGoing to school was my job. A lot of times she felt the language barrier holding her back from helping me with my studies, but when I started to show interest in apparel development and taking classes on how to sew, she felt that finally she was able to help me with my homework, because when it comes to sewing, you don\u2019t need a language, you just need your hands and your tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe felt like she was contributing to my education. In reality, she\u2019s always been contributing, just having her support, but she felt that now there was something that we can bond with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After earning her degree in 2015, at the urging of mentors, Arias moved to New York for a year to get fashion industry experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBasically, what I got out of New York was validation, that I was capable of creating designs that were aesthetically pleasing, that were functional,\u201d Arias says, adding, \u201cI had this epiphany that if I can work this hard for someone else\u2019s dream, then I can work this hard for mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working Barefoot<\/h3>\n\n\n\nDescalza sells masks like these as part of the buy one, give one project with N.C. Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Safety and Health Education Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nArias returned to the inspiration of the Guatemalan weavers. She found a group of weavers for her business through her former design professor and connected with another weaving co-op in El Salvador on a trip to visit her family. The bright, woven fabric was a perfect fit with her design vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I started Descalza, I knew that fashion is a way that we express ourselves, and as immigrants in this country, we\u2019re always trying to move forward but at the same time, we don\u2019t want to let go of our roots. These textiles represent that. They kind of reconnect us to our history, to our ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She launched Descalza<\/a> in 2017. Why did she choose the name, which means \u201cbarefoot\u201d in Spanish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By D'Lyn Ford<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NC State alumna Lisbeth Carolina Arias designs custom clothing with handwoven fabric from Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her company, Descalza, connects her with an international community of people who have shaped her life: friends and mentors from 4-H in North Carolina; a co-op in El Salvador, where she was born; weavers in Guatemala she met during an NC State internship; and customers in New York, where she moved for a year to gain design experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the pandemic began this spring, Arias made alterations to her company, which sells online and through pop-up stores in North Carolina and New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince Descalza makes statement pieces, these pieces are usually worn whenever you know the spotlight\u2019s going to be on you, so most of these events are very special events, from weddings to galas to prom to formals,\u201d Arias says. \u201cWhen COVID-19 happened, basically these events stopped happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plans for a pop-up store in California were canceled. Home with a newborn, Arias and her mother, a skilled seamstress, saw other clothing companies making masks. So did her social media followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said, \u2018If customers are sending me messages on Instagram asking for these, then there\u2019s a demand for it,\u2019\u201d Arias says. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t want to just make these masks. Descalza\u2019s very centered around community. I wanted to find a way where we could work together with someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She talked with longtime friend Roberto Rosales, an educator with North Carolina Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Health and Safety Education Program<\/a>. Rosales works with farmers and farm labor contractors to provide workers with instruction on safety practices and protective equipment, including masks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Foundation in 4-H<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s no wonder Arias thought of Extension when she wanted to contribute to the community. She has deep roots in 4-H and Juntos, two other programs offered through NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When she was 9, a woman from her church in Sanford started a folklorico group, sharing dance traditions from Mexico and Central America. Arias was drawn to the dancing and the colorful dresses. Practices took place in garages and parking lots \u2013 until leaders asked Bill Stone, then a Lee County Extension agent, about providing rehearsal space. Stone agreed and asked if he could offer 4-H programs<\/a> to the group, and a partnership began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since its start in CALS, Juntos<\/a> (Spanish for \u201ctogether\u201d), has expanded to other states and is managed by NC State\u2019s Division of Academic and Student Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While studying fashion and textile design at NC State, Arias, who came to the U.S. from El Salvador at age 2, found new ways to connect with her culture and her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had several internship experiences, one with Mayan women in Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWorking with these women left an imprint on me, and I knew I wanted to go back to those textiles. I just didn\u2019t know how,\u201d Arias says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Annett-Hitchcock, an associate professor of textile and apparel, technology and management, first encouraged Arias to follow her instincts. Arias found more inspiration at the North Carolina Museum of Art\u2019s Ebony Fashion exhibition, where she met Precious Lovell, then an associate professor of art and design at NC State. \u201cI asked her to be my mentor because of the African textiles I saw on her table,\u201d Arias explains. \u201cI knew she was just as passionate about indigenous textiles as I was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And her mother, who had worked as a seamstress for manufacturing companies, had valuable knowledge to share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t get to go to school when she got to this country; she went straight to work,\u201d Arias says. \u201cGoing to school was my job. A lot of times she felt the language barrier holding her back from helping me with my studies, but when I started to show interest in apparel development and taking classes on how to sew, she felt that finally she was able to help me with my homework, because when it comes to sewing, you don\u2019t need a language, you just need your hands and your tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe felt like she was contributing to my education. In reality, she\u2019s always been contributing, just having her support, but she felt that now there was something that we can bond with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After earning her degree in 2015, at the urging of mentors, Arias moved to New York for a year to get fashion industry experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBasically, what I got out of New York was validation, that I was capable of creating designs that were aesthetically pleasing, that were functional,\u201d Arias says, adding, \u201cI had this epiphany that if I can work this hard for someone else\u2019s dream, then I can work this hard for mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working Barefoot<\/h3>\n\n\n\nDescalza sells masks like these as part of the buy one, give one project with N.C. Cooperative Extension\u2019s Farmworker Safety and Health Education Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nArias returned to the inspiration of the Guatemalan weavers. She found a group of weavers for her business through her former design professor and connected with another weaving co-op in El Salvador on a trip to visit her family. The bright, woven fabric was a perfect fit with her design vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I started Descalza, I knew that fashion is a way that we express ourselves, and as immigrants in this country, we\u2019re always trying to move forward but at the same time, we don\u2019t want to let go of our roots. These textiles represent that. They kind of reconnect us to our history, to our ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She launched Descalza<\/a> in 2017. Why did she choose the name, which means \u201cbarefoot\u201d in Spanish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arias returned to the inspiration of the Guatemalan weavers. She found a group of weavers for her business through her former design professor and connected with another weaving co-op in El Salvador on a trip to visit her family. The bright, woven fabric was a perfect fit with her design vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I started Descalza, I knew that fashion is a way that we express ourselves, and as immigrants in this country, we\u2019re always trying to move forward but at the same time, we don\u2019t want to let go of our roots. These textiles represent that. They kind of reconnect us to our history, to our ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She launched Descalza<\/a> in 2017. Why did she choose the name, which means \u201cbarefoot\u201d in Spanish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n