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  • (curve_KARISSA RODRIGUEZ)

Born in Hoboken, New Jersey and raised in New Jersey. Life felt it was always showing its path in subtle ways. I would escape through drawing the city skyline and night stars, unknowing that was a form of manifestation. My love for leather and the craft of creating handbags with jeans and belts and various materials I could get my hands on kept my soul in constant search for my purpose. Life in my teen years was rough, so school became an escape to leave my home. I’d frequently skip class and draw until life became unbearable. Having a rough relationship with my parents, I decided to drop out of high school to regain some control over my life.

KARISSA RODRIGUEZ

After a few months, I decided to prove to myself that I was capable of success so I reapplied to school as a junior for the second time. Spent the year in the same grade as my younger sister getting A’s and B’s on my report card by the end of the year, I decided to drop out once again. I got my diploma after night school and decided take the bus to Manhattan with no money and bank on my determination to get into fashion. I felt the way to get into the business was through modeling. I was signed and shortly after I was learning to be an adult and a professional. I’d walk endless streets to get anywhere I needed to be and find myself thinking that this what I was drawing all these years ago, the city and the twinkling stars (windows) in the sky. Slowly and patiently my career took off, and I was traveling all over the world doing things I didn’t think I was deserving of. I moved to the Upper West Side in New York and lived there until the pandemic. I am currently back in my state of New Jersey in the beachside with my two dogs, Oatmeal and Raisin. When you think back on life you realize how much you already thought about the life you wanted to live, and see that with the effort you put in, you’re living exactly that.

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