Meet Sophie Astronoto | Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sophie Astronoto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sophie, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?

Being in a creative field, I felt like I needed to constantly be working to succeed. A pandemic and burn-out later, I obviously had to change my work ethic. The habits that helped me succeed the most was taking (real) breaks, asking for advice/critique, and having a positive outlook on rejection.

I had a bad habit of overworking myself because I felt like taking a break was equivalent to wasting time. At one point, I realized that I was progressing on things in a burnt-out state of mind and that I wasn’t performing as effectively and as creatively as I could be. It took me a while to accept that taking a break is okay and necessary to reset the mind. It’s also a good time to get re-inspired and find motivation again.

Another habit that has helped me is to ask for advice and critique on my work. Constructive criticism is something that people either know how to take or can’t. I used to avoid asking for criticism because it could hurt my feelings and who’d want that? Overtime, I found it to be more helpful than anything else. Even if I feel strongly about a work of mine, I’ll still ask just to have a second opinion or understand a perspective someone else might have. In the end, the artist has all the power to do what they want with the criticism.

My post grad life has been filled with multiple job rejections which I was anticipating but wasn’t sure how I’d take them. It’s an unfortunate feeling to be rejected in something that you’re passionate about but it shouldn’t be viewed as failing. Nothing is stopping me from trying again. I started to view this as opportunities to try approaching things differently; asking different questions, different storytelling, different ways of presenting, etc. These rejections motivate me to improve on my skills, try new things, and ultimately remind me of why I still love what I do despite being rejected.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I’m currently working on my brand ASTRI. I want my fashion to be known for 3 things; versatility, self-neutrality, and eco-friendliness. With how quickly fast fashion is growing, clothing items don’t last as long as they should. That’s why I aim to design classic pieces that can be worn in a multitude of ways and can stick around in your closet for a good while. Secondly, we’ve all seen fashion ads cater to unrealistic standards then shift towards a more body-positive and inclusive stance. I’m all for it but realistically, it’s not always that easy. I want to empower people to dress the way they please for self-neutrality without forcing positivity and self-love on themselves. Lastly, I am working towards being as environmentally conscious as I can be. Eco-friendly materials can be costly when you’re a small designer, but there are always small things you can do to reduce the amount of waste fashion creates. As of now, I’m refraining from buying new fabrics and creating pieces from materials that I already own as well as reusing and refabricating scraps.

Nothing in life is an easy ride and I would not be where I am today without the hardships I faced. I still have a long way to go and I’d say I’m in an experimental stage of creating a small business and discovering myself as a designer. A piece of advice that has helped me push myself is that you’ll never get to try new things and learn from them if you keep waiting to “feel more confident”. Finally getting out of the mentality of “I’m not good enough yet” allowed me to shamelessly try, fail, and try again. Overall, my brand is something that I want to continuously develop and experiment with overtime and not feel like it’s something I need to perfect before sharing with the world.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Personally, I’m not one to scout for big events to go to when a friend visits. I like doing small, maybe unconventional, local things to show them what I typically do for fun!

Eating is most likely the first on my list of things to do when friends visit me. Jinya is one of my favorite ramen restaurants and is located in Victory Park which has several other restaurants and dessert shops near walking distance. Another favorite restaurant of mine is NoodleWave, specifically the one in Carrollton since there’s more fun things to do in the area.

Museums are a must for me and I love spending a day looking at art at the DMA then relaxing at Klyde Warren Park afterward. I personally love just taking a nice walk in cute areas where my friend and I can take memorable pictures and simply catch up.

One day, I’ll take my friend to Shops at Legacy for a night walk when all the shops are closed and the streets are empty. This is personally my favorite time to go since it’s more peaceful, has pretty lights on, and you can essentially still window shop! Don’t worry, I’d take them here again during the day to actually shop around and try different foods at the Legacy food hall.

Thrifting is another must for my friends and I. I’d take them to my top thrift shops: Buffalo Exchange, Uptown Cheapskate, and Thrift Giant. This usually ends up taking most of the day. If we’re not exhausted from shopping yet, we could also hit up NorthPark mall!

Lastly, a night (or day) in Carrollton’s Koreatown for karaoke, boba, buying things we don’t need, and more eating! We’ll most likely start by eating, probably restaurant hopping since there’s so many to choose from, then getting drinks! I’m an avid tea and boba drinker so my recommendations are Tiger Sugar for boba or Mozart Bakery for tea, coffee, and pastries. I’m a sucker for stationery and other random things that I think I need in my life but don’t so we’ll check out 10X10, Pinkbox, and Artbox. We’ll end the day with karaoke at SingBox until we’re checked out for the night!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shout out to my group of talented friends that got me through fashion school: Kayla, Quinn, Tory, Angel, Joan, and Quincy <3 These people showed me what true individuality is and have inspired me since the day I met them. These are the people that have been through the toughest and best times of my career. From pulling all nighters to crying and ranting to having every single class together, I would not have gotten to where I am today without their support and friendship. Also, I’d like to thank my professors who I’ve grown so close to. They challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone, helped me explore my capabilities in design, and guided me to amazing opportunities to show off my skills. Much love and biggest thanks to all these people for believing in me!!

Website: https://sophieastro23.wixsite.com/sophieastro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astri.dsgn/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophieastronoto/

Image Credits
@CapturedMePhotos