Ghazaleh Khalifeh had the invaluable opportunity to feature her design on LIFEWTR Series 3 bottles and showcase her first collection during New York Fashion Week in September— as part of the premium hydration brand’s partnership with the CFDA based on a shared mission in advancing creativity and supporting emerging creators on a global stage. Nearly a year later, we caught up with Khalifeh around NYFW: Men’s and the Fashion Future Graduate Showcase as she shared advice for the new graduates and her creative wisdom. Here, our interview.

As an emerging designers yourself, what advice do you have for graduates?

Build your dreams from the inside-out, as opposed to from the outside-in. As in, let the authenticity of your gut instinct guide you towards making grounded, positive change—not only when creating, but also when making decisions that shape your life’s path. Work hard to follow through on your goals with passion and dedication, and learn from others, including your peers, and also allow yourself to design your own method of achieving what success means to you.

You were given an immense opportunity through the LIFEWTR Series 3 program last year. What did you learn from this experience that you can pass on to future generations of designers?

From the incredible opportunity I was given through the partnership between the CFDA and LIFEWTR, I gained essential knowledge from the experience that I continue to learn from! One of the most important things I’ve been continuing to learn first-hand from the experience is the importance of finding a healthy professional balance between obsessive dedication towards seeking to perfect work in pursuit….trying to create work that does justice to your conceptual vision of it…and knowing when you have to begin to stop in order to peacefully finish everything up to meet deadlines, and not neglect mental/physical self-care. Working in the industry, especially creating your own collection, requires an immense amount of professional teamwork and collaboration. If you cannot be accountable, you will fail the entire powerhouse of support that is there to help and work with you towards achieving success. Thus, working to find a healthy professional balance is incredibly crucial so that you’ll be able to be present for incredible opportunities when they present themselves to you, without letting anyone, including you and your health, down.

How has your career and passion progressed following the LIFEWTR Series 3 program and presentation last year?

Creating my six-look collection for the CFDA x LIFETR Series 3 NYFW presentation last year was my first experience post-academia and pre-“established career,” and thus, being given the opportunity with such creative freedom bestowed upon me, had me doing a great deal of personal exploration of my design ethics and morals, and from the perspective of my roots and heritage too. This experience was significant in shaping my future. It planted seeds, which I am harvesting and cultivating, for my current endeavor.
I am currently in the process of designing and creating prototypes for a brand I’m developing born out of the concept and ethos of my NYFW collection! I am striving to launch this work within the next one to two years, and I am really excited about it.
Additionally, I have become a fashion design professor within the design department at California College of the Arts. I am very much in love with my job, and devoted to working with students to help guide them towards achieving their own creative and professional self-empowerment!