The Artist: A Grande Collection for the Little Girl

When thinking of couture, do you normally picture tall, glamorous models donning all the signature brands that Carrie Bradshaw would rave about? Well, designer Jessica Balocchi instead envisions the cutest babies in beautiful and elegant handmade clothing. She created her brand Cuore Baby and just premiered her latest collection in a runway show during Orlando Fashion Week. Let’s get to know some more about the designer behind Cuore Baby and how she has gotten her brand for babies to flourish.

Photos Courtesy of Jessica Balocchi & www.cuore-baby.com

Nonahood News: What drove you to become a designer?

Jessica Balocchi: What I love … about designing is the opportunity you get to create beautiful things, and I love babies so designing for babies is my dream come true.

NHN: When did you realize your passion for couture?

JB: I started designing five years ago. Cuore Baby was my first inmersion in the design world. My formal studies are not related to design. I have a bachelor[’s] degree in business and a master[’s] in marketing but found my true vocation when I started my brand. This is my first couture collection … but the essence of Cuore Baby is a couture brand. Our first designs and still our strongest line is the ceremony collection and those gown[s] are all handmade, hand-embroidered, made with the finest materials from around the world. I love to travel and fabrics and laces are part of my luggage.

NHN: What inspired you to design a collection for baby girls?

JB: This couture collection is for spring 2020, and it was my opportunity of creating dream outfits for formal occasions. The gowns are full of flower laces, velvet ribbons, and sparkling tulles. The colors are bright, and the final touches are the details hand-embroidered in crystals and pearls. I became a mother of a baby girl eight months ago, and I realized how important it is for moms to have their little treasures dressed as princesses. There are not that many options when looking for unique, well-made, tasteful gowns.

NHN: How often do you find yourself creating designs?

JB: I love this question … I never stop creating new designs. Even when I am creating a clothing collection, I am also creating something new for my accessory line or the baby jewelry line for Cuore Baby … just a couple of months ago, I started a new project with my brand @isolecollection of espadrilles for women. My mind is always working.

NHN: How long did it take you to discover yourself as a designer?

JB: This inclination I have for fashion somehow was always in my path. While studying business in Spain, I worked in my clothing boutique which sold brands like Dolce & Gabbana, la Perla, Cappopera, among others. While doing the master[’s] in marketing in Florence, I ended up doing my internship at Conte of Florence, a well-known fashion Italian brand. After all my years in Europe, I went back to my home country Venezuela and worked for my parents’ company, which is a plastic manufacturing company, but every afternoon, I went back home to design and hand sew gowns with my aunt Maria del Pilar. That is how Cuore Baby was born. Then I got my sewing machines, the atelier grew, and Cuore Baby became my full-time job.

NHN: Which of your projects would you consider to be your favorites? (Pick a top three.)

JB: My favorite projects were: 1. Creating my first collection. It was for an amazing boutique of children wear in Caracas called Bomani. They still sell Cuore Baby. 2. Doing my first runway show at the Orlando Convention Center with the Southern Women Show and the Orlando Fashion Week. 3. Going abroad with my design was one of the most gratifying moments as a designer. Cuore Baby is sold in Miami, Caracas, Panama, and Puerto Rico. I also do direct sales to [people] all over the world, and I get very excited when someone from a new country wants to buy one of my pieces. I still wonder how they found me in Australia or Canada … this era of online sales is amazing. It connects us.

NHN: Which of your projects were the most time-consuming/challenging and why?

JB: My most challenging moment as a designer was keeping up with the atelier and the custom orders in the first trimester of pregnancy. I was feeling bad, and I also had to stay in bed for my baby’s health.

NHN: What are some of your dream projects?

JB: My dream project is to participate in [the] New York kids’ fashion shows.

NHN: What serves as your inspiration on a day-to-day basis?

JB: My biggest inspiration is my daughter. Naomi makes my world brighter. My parents are and have always been my role model[s] to follow, and my husband supports me with all his love. I feel so lucky and so blessed.