Zonero Soy
A Love Letter to the Colonial Zone
The Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo is where history breathes through cobblestone streets, where baroque arabesques dance on ancient chapel walls, and where vibrant bougainvillea cascades over centuries-old balconies. It’s a place of contrasts and diversity, where art and culture manifest in countless ways, where the past and present coexist in perfect harmony. For a Zonero—someone who lives, loves, and draws inspiration from this historic heart of the city—the Colonial Zone is not just a place; it’s an identity.
Zonero Soy (I Am a Zonero) is my declaration of love for the streets that have shaped me: Calle Billini, Calle Hostos, and Las Atarazanas. This collection captures the essence of what it means to belong to this magical corner of the Dominican Republic, translating architectural details, colonial ornaments, and the vibrant spirit of Zona Colonial life into contemporary fashion.
The Inspiration
Every element of this collection emerged from an intimate relationship with the Colonial Zone’s visual poetry. The intricate arabesques of the Chapel of the Rosary at the Convent of the Dominicans became patterns. The iron gates of the Alcázar de Colón inspired structural details. The lifestyle—that unique blend of Dominican warmth and colonial elegance—informed every silhouette.
But perhaps most significantly, I found my color palette in the trinitaria flower (bougainvillea) that defines our tropical landscape. Those vibrant fuchsias, yellows, and oranges became the soul of the collection, contrasted with crisp white, dramatic black, and metallic accents that reference the colonial architecture’s weathered beauty.
Design Innovation
Zonero Soy marked a pivotal moment in my creative journey: it was the first collection where I designed every single fabric from scratch. Using advanced digital textile sublimation technology with the Epson F9200 printer, I created custom prints that allowed me to control exactly where each design element would fall on the garment—not where the pattern dictated, but where my artistic vision demanded.
The process required close collaboration between my graphic design background and my fashion training, resulting in textiles that were uniquely mine.
I also experimented boldly with new techniques for this collection, incorporating laser-cut details on acrylic and leather that added contemporary edge to the colonial-inspired aesthetic. These technical experiments created unexpected textures and visual interest that balanced the romantic florals with modern precision.
Zonero Soy premiered at Dominicana Moda 2016 in the Garden Tent of the Hotel El Embajador in Santo Domingo, bringing the spirit of the Colonial Zone to life on the runway. The presentation showcased not just clothing, but a complete aesthetic vision of what it means to be a Zonero—proud, vibrant, and deeply connected to cultural heritage.
The collection also traveled internationally, with presentations at San Juan Moda in November 2016 and later at Epson Digital Couture 2017 in New York City during Fashion Week—making me the first Dominican designer to participate in this prestigious event showcasing digital textile innovation.
The collection received enthusiastic praise from fashion critics and industry professionals. Diario Libre noted the excellent handling of cuts and drapes, particularly highlighting palazzo pants that widened from the hip down and a white dress in embroidered strips. The publication specifically praised the unexpected acrylic belts that added vitality to the predominantly vaporous silhouettes.
The innovative use of digital textile printing positioned the collection at the forefront of fashion technology while maintaining artisanal quality through hand-sewn details and careful construction.
Zonero Soy established my voice as a designer who could successfully merge cultural authenticity with technical innovation. It proved that deeply personal, locally-rooted fashion could resonate on international stages, and it opened doors for continued collaboration with Epson on digital textile projects.
The collection also spawned Zonerito Soy, an adaptation for my children’s line Little Tales, allowing the Colonial Zone’s magic to inspire fashion for the next generation.
For me, Zonero Soy will always represent the moment when I fully embraced my identity—not just as a Dominican designer, but as a Zonero, someone whose creative DNA is inseparable from the cobblestone streets, colonial facades, and bougainvillea-draped balconies of Santo Domingo’s historic heart.
