Emerging Designers

Juliana Costa
2006 graduate, Miami International

Juliana Costa with model Maria Smirnova [Photos: Anna Gunselman]

FASHION DESIGN

Designing ultra-feminine, vibrant dresses for two distinctly different markets is a skill Juliana "JuJu" Costa has mastered. The Miami-based designer, who grew up in Brazil, creates two collections each season using variations on the same patterns — one for her customers in Florida, where JuJu Costa dresses are sold in more than a dozen boutiques, and a more conservative version for her clients in Brazil. "They show more skin on the beach there, but not on the street," she explains. "It's tricky."

Not too tricky for Costa, who received the Emerging Designer Award at Funkshion Fashion Week 2009.

Her company, which has 15 employees, posted revenue last year of about $400,000. First-quarter 2010 sales totaled $300,000.

Charlene Parsons, director of the fashion and accessory design program at MIU, says, "Nothing was ever too much for Juliana when she was in school. She always had drive and dedication but also both feet on the ground, knowing that it's all about the business of fashion to be successful."

Above, and at right, Maria Smirnova models pieces in Costa’s collection.

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