By Natasha Bajwa

Hannah Pascual strives to build a community within the fashion industry for petite women. As a petite woman herself, she is dedicated in taking her collection to new heights by creating clothes that celebrate shorter women.

Pascual’s thesis collection, ALTURA, is designed for women under five feet tall who seek quality pieces that complement their less common frame. Each piece was created to make petite women stand out in a crowd.

ALTURA will be unveiled at 2018 The Show presented by Tamoda Apparel Inc., on April 19 and 20 at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) new purpose-built Wilson School of Design building. The beautiful and innovative $36-million building houses a range of design programs including the fashion-design-and-technology program. Thirty-one other lines by KPU fashion design and technology students will also be showcased.

For event details, visit kpu.ca/2018fashionshow or follow @wilsondesignkpu on Instagram.

Natasha Bajwa: Describe your collection

Hannah Pascual: ALTURA is a super petite collection, empowering women under five feet who seek quality pieces that showcase their unique frame.

NB: Who or what was the inspiration behind your line?

HP: Growing up, I was always the shortest one among my family and friends, and it always made me feel insecure about myself. As I got older, I learned to embrace my height at 4’9” because it differentiates me from other people. Along the way, however, I realized my height created a huge barrier when shopping for clothes. That’s when I noticed there was a lack of representation for petite women in the fashion industry, especially in the Vancouver area. So I was inspired to design a collection that was true to their smaller size.

NB: What word best encapsulates you as a designer?

HP: Dedicated. When I set a goal for myself I push myself to meet those goals. As a designer, I’m always dedicated to finishing whatever project I’m working on with passion and resilience, and I won’t stop until I get there. I love the drive and I love giving my all in my work, because once you’ve reached your end goal it’s the best feeling in the world.

NB: What’s the most helpful thing you learned at KPU?

HP: To trust the process. During the design stages, a lot of things will not go according to plan and tears will be shed but this is what helps us get where we need to be. It is a part of the process. This was very important to me because it helped me not dwell on what I could’ve done better and move on to the next step. I carry this through design as well as in life.

NB: What made you want to become a designer?

HP: Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be a fashion designer. I fell in love with playing dress-up in my mom’s clothes and pretending that I was head designer for my own company. From there I just knew that I wanted to be in the fashion industry when I grew up.

Natasha Bajwa is a final-year fashion design and technology student at KPU’s Wilson School of Design.