MEET
JULIA-PARIS
For as long as she can remember, Julia Paris Arutyuinyan has been drawn to fashion. What began as childhood dress up sessions and handmade duct tape purses quickly evolved into a lifelong pursuit of design. At just nine years old, she received her first sewing machine, a moment that transformed her creative journey. Before then, she had relied on hand sewing and glue to bring her ideas to life. With a sewing machine came the ability to create with greater precision and intention.
Determined to master her craft, Julia immersed herself in sewing tutorials, teaching herself new techniques through countless hours of study and experimentation. As her skills progressed, her mother enrolled her in local sewing classes, where she excelled and eventually became an assistant instructor, helping teach classes and summer camps for younger students.
At thirteen, Julia was accepted into Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, where she majored in Technical Theatre Costume Design. There, she found a community that matched her passion and dedication to creative excellence. She spent countless hours working on costume crew productions and later served as crew head for multiple shows. During this time, she also stepped into leadership as co president of the school's fashion club.
Alongside her theatre studies, Julia pursued visual arts and was first introduced to the Fashion Institute of Technology during a school trip to New York City. The experience proved transformative and solidified her dream of studying fashion in New York. During her junior year, she focused heavily on garment construction, creating work that earned a Scholastic Silver Key Award and exhibition recognition in West Palm Beach. She was also nominated for Top Costume Technician at Dreyfoos.
Throughout the COVID 19 pandemic, Julia remained committed to her creative growth. She continued leading her fashion club virtually while launching a successful Etsy shop featuring handmade accessories, garments, and crochet pieces. Her entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to design only strengthened her path forward
At eighteen, Julia moved to New York City to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design with a specialization in Special Occasion Design. During her time at FIT, she worked backstage at New York Fashion Week, completed industry internships, served as Vice President of the Art and Design Club, and gained valuable experience across multiple areas of the fashion industry.
Today, Julia continues to refine her craft through hands on work in design development, production, and atelier environments while building J Paris A Couture, her independent couture brand dedicated to creating custom, one of a kind pieces.
Inspired by her Armenian heritage, theatrical background, and love of statement design, Julia creates garments that exist at the intersection of artistry and craftsmanship. Her work embraces dramatic silhouettes, intricate detailing, and couture techniques, transforming clothing into pieces that tell a story.
Through J Paris A Couture, her vision is to create a world where fashion is treated as wearable art and every garment becomes a lasting expression of identity, imagination, and craftsmanship.
“Fashion is about dreaming and making other people dream.” — Donatella Versace
