NJ teen heads to FIT as she follows grandmother’s legacy

For Asian Pacific American
Heritage Thirty day period, Information 12’s Nick Meidanis has the story of a New
Jersey teenager with vogue in her blood.

Eighteen-calendar year-aged Kayla Santos
taught herself how to sew, but now it is far more of a enthusiasm.

“The very first COVID lockdown it all started out, I was just stitching consistently and I
sort of just grew,” claims Kayla.

But she’s constantly experienced an eye for style, authoring the basic principles of dressing up
before she could even spell shirt. Turns out it is in her blood, thanks to her
grandma.

Her name is Esterlita Santos. She ran her have small business in the Philippines. They
never ever bought the probability to satisfy but Kayla read tales, and something clicked.

“There’s like a cause that I’m like so into this that I must unquestionably want
to go after that in the upcoming,” states Kayla.

There’s a further particular person who aided Kayla reach the subsequent degree — her artwork
teacher. Though so a lot of learners experienced mastering at home, Kayla excelled —
working additional time, executing very own research and making creations
without currently being questioned.

Kayla’s operate was employed in the faculty enjoy — “The Wedding day Singer.”
Kayla discovered inspiration from grandma, who created the dress worn by Kayla’s aunt.

Kayla suggests her objective is to reopen her grandmother’s business — Essence. For now,
she’s doing work on her possess promenade dress. She only let News 12 show
a compact portion of it, but it will be daring and major — like hardly fitting
through doorways big.