Class of 2026 Student Spotlight: Hazel Villafranco Iraheta

Degree:

Hometown:

Washington, D.C.

Where are you from and what brought you to Marymount?

My family is originally from El Salvador, but I have spent most of my life in Washington, D.C. When looking at colleges, I didn’t want to go too far from home and was interested in studying political science. Many of my teachers recommended Marymount, so it just made sense for me to come here.

After taking some political science courses during my freshman year, I realized they just weren’t for me. So, I started to take a little bit of everything while figuring out what I really enjoyed. I took two fashion-related courses, Digital Tools and Intro to Color and Design, and I remember thinking, “Whoa, I really like this.” That’s when I started pursuing fashion design seriously, and I’m so glad I did.

What has your experience been like in the Fashion Design program?

It’s been a great experience overall. There have definitely been challenges where I felt stuck, or compared myself to other students and felt like I wasn’t progressing as quickly as I should. But I learned so much more than I ever expected.

Before joining the program, I thought fashion was mostly about making pretty dresses and designs. But there’s so much more to it. I learned about manufacturing, tech packs, tech flats and all the technical details that are crucial in the industry—sometimes even more important than sewing skills or sketches. That was really eye-opening and showed me just how many paths there are within the fashion industry.

What opportunities have helped you grow at Marymount?

One opportunity that stands out was the Marymount IKEA collaboration that I worked on. It gave me a completely different perspective on sustainability and using nontraditional materials and fabrics. That project was especially important to me because it was the first project I fully completed and showcased. It helped me realize that I really could do this and create something meaningful in a nontraditional way. Seeing my work displayed publicly made me feel incredibly proud. It was the first thing I ever created that strangers outside the Marymount community would see. Overcoming the fear of thinking, “maybe I can’t do this,” was meaningful for me.

Of course, creating a senior line for Portfolio in Motion was also a standout moment for me. My collection, “Soft Inheritance,” was inspired by my Salvadoran roots and was created to celebrate the women in my life who have made me who I am—specifically my grandmother, mom and cousin. Seeing the whole collection come together on the runway was so rewarding. People told me they could clearly see how the collection transitioned between generations, from looks inspired by older women to younger women, while still feeling cohesive. Hearing that made me proud because that balance was exactly what I was trying to achieve.

How have you grown personally?

I’ve grown a lot socially and professionally. Before coming to Marymount, I was very shy and didn’t really talk to people. But being here helped me build strong relationships with my classmates, especially within the Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising programs.

I’ve also built meaningful relationships with my professors, which has been one of the most valuable parts of my experience. Because Marymount is such a small school, you’re able to have one-on-one conversations with professors and connect with them in a way that’s harder at larger universities. Those relationships have helped me network with designers and better prepare for life after graduation.

What are your plans after graduation?

Ideally, I would love to go to Europe—maybe Italy or Portugal—and work with designers there. That’s always been a dream of mine. I’d also love to work in New York, Los Angeles or Miami with designers in the industry. I’m especially interested in the technical and manufacturing side of fashion. I would love to help designers create tech packs, communicate with manufacturers and support the production side of the industry.

What advice would you give to incoming college students?

Get out of your comfort zone. Everyone at Marymount is here to meet people, build connections and experience college together. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, because you’ll meet so many amazing people and opportunities when you do. Also, you never know where your classmates and friends might end up. That could be a key connection for you later on, so invest in networking and building those connections to help set you up for success.