Yoana Baraschi

Yoana Baraschi exudes sophistication and elegance every time I see her at market. She has a whole staff of incredibly talented, competent people, but she still works the trade shows as if she's not the super star she is. Modeling her own designs, I'm convinced, once again she's a genius.

We've been carrying Yoana's designs for almost the entire time she's had her own label, about eight years. I love her innovative designs, the dedication she has to her company and her ability to be a trend setter in an industry that is unbelievably competitive. She continues season after season to stun us with her creations. I had to wonder, where did she get her passion and expertise from? I did a little digging and here's what I found out.

Born in Bucharest, Romania, Yoana Baraschi was raised in a family of artists. Her mother, Elli Baraschi, was an educator and a true fashion icon who felt that being stylish and elegant was the ultimate creative expression for a woman. Her father, Constantin Baraschi, a leading figure in the Romanian art world, was a renowned sculptor and Dean of the Fine Arts Institute. Following in his footsteps, Yoana studied drawing and sculpture from a very early age. She continued her artistic studies at the Fine Arts Institute of Bucharest where she received a BA in Sculpture. In 1978, a few years after the death of her parents, Yoana left communist Romania for Paris, where she got her first design job working for Emmanuelle Khahn as an embroidery designer. During her four years in Paris, she also worked at Studio de Style Jean Azel as an associate designer on collections such as Leonard, Cacharel, Mugler, and Faconable.

In 1983, Yoana moved to New York where she began to work as an illustrator for WWD and continued her work in textile design for various studios. She then shifted her focus in 1986 when she began working as a shoe designer for Mario Valentino and was introduced to the factories of Napoli and trade shows of Milan. During her many travels through Italy, Yoana was exposed to their fine tradition of craftsmanship, working with the best in the trade, which gave her a strong reference point for her career. It was during this time that she started I.B. Design Studio, which was created to translate European concepts for an American market. Her work had her traveling extensively throughout Hong Kong, Paris, Romania, California and India.

The turning point of Yoana’s designer career came in 1999, when she began working as Creative Director for Betsey Johnson. She was heavily influenced by not only business success the company had achieved, but also Betsey’s own originality and vision. It was this time period that allowed Yoana the courage to live her own vision and believe that she could start her own collection. In 2002, armed with her first sample collection created in her bedroom, Yoana was able to find a showroom to represent her line, received her first order from Saks Fifth Avenue, and was invited to participate in the esteemed Intermezzo Trade Show.

Yoana Baraschi now has showrooms representing her collection in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, and London and can be found in approximately 500 specialty boutiques globally. Yoana has continued to amass an impressive roster of fans among young and stylish Hollywood; Halle Berry, Sienna Miller, Paris Hilton, Rachel Bilson, Heidi Klum, and Lauren Conrad.

Wow, this is an impressive resume! Hats off to Yoana for the continued success with her collection. I feel privileged to carry it her gorgeous collection at J. LaMore.

Jennifer