Irene
“Walk your walk and do you, it’s the only way you’ll truly shine.”
Irene is a talented Art Director and Integrated Graphic Designer who draws from a range of sources for artistic inspiration and expression, especially her vibrant Puerto Rican roots and versatile creative background. Her cheerful personality is smoothly transferred into her work, as evidenced by her use of radiant color, texture, and details in each of her projects. Her talents expand beyond the digital space, as playing dress up has allowed her to portray a range of personas, from cinematic characters to Latinx icons in her portrait photography. As someone who has had to hustle and grind in New York City’s freelance world, it is no surprise that her drive, determination, and range of skills have been catalysts for her success. Meet Irene. This is her story.
K: Please introduce yourself!
I: ¡Hola! I'm Irene Fernández. A color-obsessed designer and artist from sunny Puerto Rico, living and hustling in New York City with my wonderful partner Carlos and sassy sun conure TOki.
K: Describe yourself in your own words
I: I'm a lover of anything art and performance; dance, design, music, theater, illustration, animation... Because of this, I've focused my life and career on being a creative professional, for now, focused on Graphic Design and Art Direction. However, the last few years I started putting working for "the man" to one side and have spent it transitioning to focus less on the career aspect of creating and more on just being an artist and freelancer. I'm still going through that process and am excited to continue. I'm also passionate about using style as a language of expression and take huge pride in my version driven by loud combinations of color, pattern, texture, and sparkle. I carry it in all aspects of my life... what I wear, what my home looks like, my work, etc.
K: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
I: I'm obsessed with dressing up and always look for any excuse or reason to do it! I take it very seriously ;) and love doing it for myself and also delighting & amusing others. I guess it's my own way of making life my stage. Lately, I've been dabbling a lot in self-portraiture to document those looks (or I guess what people would nowadays call artsy selfies lol).
Also, I'm extremely proud of my little sunny homeland and roots, which is very characteristic of our people. I just released a design passion project celebrating my Puerto Rican culture through reggaeton and slang. Feel free to follow and shop it here: https://www.instagram.com/poesiaboricua/!
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
I: This isn't really a story but, moving to NYC was probably one of the most rewarding decisions I've ever made; even if the leap was a natural "rite of passage" when I moved here to get my BFA in Design at the School of Visual Arts at 18 years old. The city has helped me come into my own and to achieve what now is my ultimate goal: how to be unapologetically myself. Here you can explore it all, in fact, uniqueness is celebrated and the thing I've found boosts many to succeed. It's inspiring and filled with communities of people who keep me motivated to continue my process of self-discovery. And my NYC chosen family is just awesome.
All of my life I've struggled with my self-worth and self-esteem, mostly for wanting to be different and my body and looks not fitting a certain mold. I felt like I was out of place and also just... gross. I come from an island that 10+ years ago, was quite culturally unforgiving when it comes to a woman's aesthetics, style, and behavior fitting to a certain mold; or at least it felt that way for me then (I do think it's changed a lot now). I didn't want what society expected of me and thought a different home could expand my opportunities.
I also grew up training to become a classical ballet dancer, it was the love of my life and ultimate dream to own the stage as a professional one day. However, my body is the complete OPPOSITE of what that world requires, and ballet is all about aesthetics. I'm a 100% Latinx woman with all the meat and curves that come with it... Shakira said it, the hips don't lie! Maybe that dream was set aside, but even though I don't plan to dance professionally anymore, when I do go to the studios here I see humans of all shapes and sizes absolutely killing it on the dance floor. It's awesome to be able to be a part of that and not be continuously criticized for what my body looks like.
And let's not forget that overall NYC is honestly also, a b*tch. Costs of living are high, the competition for jobs and gigs is rough... You gotta work really hard to survive and succeed! All the mega-talented people come here to get a piece of the (pizza) pie, and odds are usually never in your favor. After living here for 16 years, I know I'll thrive anywhere. I am strong AF. I also have a lot of fun city stories, if you ever wanna chat ;)
K: What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
I: Stop worrying so much about what others think of you!!! Walk your walk and do you, it's the only way you'll truly shine. It will also lead you to find your awesome partner :) good things come when you focus on being and loving yourself.
K: What does being a woman mean to you?
I: This changes for me all the time... as cheesy as it might sound, having the capability and strength to "do it all". We're built to carry through anything and everything. Also, I just f-ing love being a woman. Dolly Parton said that if she wasn't born a woman, she'd be a drag queen. I 100% feel the same way... although sometimes I kinda am one already.
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to them if they were here now?
I: So many women inspire me, I can't pick one!
Unsurprisingly, mostly divas and artists are my biggest sources of inspo... Frida Kahlo, Selena, Iris Chacón, CHER!!
Drag performers also inspire me so much, I love seeing their interpretations of femininity and am obsessed with them as performers. Some of my favorites are Sasha Velour, Charlene Incarnate, Pixie Aventura, and Untitled Queen. All NYC queens, no surprise there!
My mom because even though she is a doctor, she's also SUPER creative and always looking for fun ways of expressing it such as jewelry making, crafting, and sewing. She would also always put my sister and me first in life, we're super grateful for that and the sacrifices that have come with it. It's an example I fully intend to follow if I ever become a mother.
My sister because she's a total bad-ass. She's an aquatic ecologist with a Ph.D., and absolutely killing it with her research and aquatic adventures. And did I mention she's not even 30 yet?!
Follow Irene’s Journey:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/if_creative/
Website: https://ifcreative.myportfolio.com/
Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/poesiaboricua