At The Line Up our mission is to inspire joy, confidence, and connection within our Line Up family – both customers and employees alike. As a small business we have the opportunity to encourage our employees in their creative endeavors outside of work. Today, we're thrilled to shine a spotlight on one of our own, Damaris Benitez Franco, a Junior Creative Designer, and learn more about the incredible passion and refined talent she brings to designing our collections, as well as her own creative pursuits.
Tell us who you are and what you do at The Line Up?
Hi! I’m Damaris Benitez Franco, I’m a Junior Creative Designer for the New Product team at The Line Up.
As part of the New Product team, I create new designs for our webstore. With collaboration, I choose themes and color palettes for collections that I then design garments for. My work focuses on bridging creative vision with technical execution.
Could you share the origin story behind your love for fashion?
My fashion journey started in high school with a pair of thrifted pants that were WAY too big. I took them to a tailor and got quoted an insane amount that 17-year-old me could simply not afford. With absolute 0 sewing experience and too much confidence, I decided I would attempt to resize them myself. After countless attempts and hours on YouTube, I managed to get them to an ok place. I still have the pants almost a decade later, and I can't help but laugh at how messy of a job I did. They don’t fit me anymore, but I keep them as a reminder of how far I’ve come.
What's your favorite part of working in a creative environment?
I often say how lucky I am that I get to come to work and design for a living. In college, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in fashion but was scared to take the risk. I had to trust myself and know that I would be able to make it work and find success one way or another. About 2 years post-graduation, I’m surrounded by creative energy all day long and can't imagine my life any other way!
What creative pursuits do you have outside of work?
Recently, I’ve been working on building my own brand, D.B. Franco. My style and voice are still very much a work in progress, but as I work to figure that out, I've been trying to push my boundaries and taking as many opportunities as possible. I recently participated in ‘Man Down’ a local Minneapolis fashion show. It was my first show since graduating from Minneapolis College and I had a blast! I’ve also been lucky enough to work closely with a local musician and develop custom designs for her music videos or photoshoots.
My next endeavor will be in January for the Art Shanty Projects on Lake Harriet. Myself along with an incredibly talented group of Minneapolis artists, received a grant to build an immersive sculpture on a frozen lake. I was brought on as the “textile expert” and will also be designing a collection centered around the theme of our project.
What inspires creativity in your projects?
My inspiration comes from exploring my Mexican roots as well as themes of climate change and nature. It’s my way of honoring my personal identity while bringing awareness to our rapidly changing reality. At times my designs are led by rich cultural narratives, and others by earthy textures and organic forms. Each piece becomes an expression of identity, ancestry, and the environment.
What fashion trend(s) are you most excited about right now?
It's not necessarily my style, but I love that Maximalism is making a comeback! There’s lots of exciting bold shapes, textures, and colors that come with the resurgence of this style. I feel like we’ve been stuck in a monochrome/business-inspired world for a while, which I love, but I’m ready for a change. Over the next few months, I think we’ll start to see even more maximalist fashion.
What are you most excited about for the future of your work in fashion?
I think what excites me most about this career are the endless possibilities. There are so many opportunities that can lead you to places you have never dreamed of! My current outlook on designing is to take everything as it comes and take the risk.
What advice would you give to other creatives/designers?
Always take the risk and trust yourself. In the past, I stopped myself from taking on opportunities because I was too busy or didn’t feel I belonged in a space due to a lack of experience. I’m working on changing that way of thinking and so far, it’s paying off!
Where can people learn more about you and check out your work?
My work only lives on Instagram for now! If you want to check out my work, you can follow @db_francodesigns
