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One of the first buildings along the path of LATTC’s main entryway is the Design & Media Arts building. The building’s ground floor has a display room that the college calls, “The Fishbowl” where passersby can view the latest designs from students of the fashion design program. “I’d always see students’ designs in there on my way into class and think, ‘All these clothes are really nice; do I really have it in me?’” says LATTC student, Bryan Ortiz.

Growing up, Bryan remembers his father working as a jeans manufacturer for companies like Levi’s and True Religion. His dad would come home with fabric and patterns and would make Bryan and his brother their pants as kids. As he entered his early college years, Bryan searched for a major that he could feel passionate about. After arriving at LATTC in 2022, he looked up “fashion design,” and thinking he had nothing to lose, he tried it out.

At first the classes were difficult, and Bryan will be the first to admit that it took a while to find his bearings. “Before my first class, I had never touched a sewing machine before or drawn designs. I’ll be honest, I failed my first semester of the program. It was a struggle.” Bryan was committed to the program and applied himself. Classes were Monday through Friday, from 7 am until noon. His instructor offered optional after-school hours if students wanted to stay and work on their designs. “I stayed after every day. My class would start at 7 am and I wouldn’t come home until 5 or 6 pm.” 

“Bryan is a very determined student,” says Ms. Tiffany Jackson, vice chair of Design and Media Arts and one of Bryan’s instructors. “He accepts constructive criticism well and works very hard to do things right. He struggled in the beginning, but each time he got better and more confident. When he came to class, he sat in the front and stayed focused. He never missed deadlines.”

Bryan’s months of hard work culminated last December at the Fall 2024 Gold Thimble fashion show, a semester showcase of the program’s graduating students. Eight categories were presented, and Bryan was awarded first place in Eveningwear and second place in Men’s Wear.

“I was so proud of him when he won a Gold Thimble for his garments,” said Ms. Jackson. “I even asked to meet his parents so I could tell them what a nice young man they raised. He really is an example of what determination and discipline mean when you make a commitment.”

Bryan hopes to continue with the design skills he learned at LATTC and would love to be a part of a larger design company. His family is his real motivation, and he looks forward to being able to support them one day.