about
E. Vincent Martinez
Long before Project Runway became a household word, art teacher E. Vincent Martinez launched Grady High School’s first fashion design class with 40 students. Today, realizing his dream of turning his fabric and design classes into a self-sustaining fashion line where students are the top designers, Martinez directs Grady’s UrbanCouture program (UC) and instructs 120 fashion design students who focus on productivity, creativity and personal expression.
UrbanCouture is unique. It transforms high school students into Atlanta’s hottest young fashion designers. Classes emphasize fashion as an art form while teaching basic design and construction skills – pattern making, fitting and sewing techniques.
The impact of UrbanCouture on the students extends well beyond their acquiring specialized skills and creative means of personal expression. Schoolwork offers life lessons as they experience the challenges and rigor of careers in the world of fashion. Charged with being fully responsible for executing their runway show, the Senior Designers interview and select their models, compile their music, design the special effects and choreograph the presentation.
Additionally, Grady design students have participated in projects that benefit the Atlanta community, starting with UC’s “Feed the Models – Save the World” campaign in April 2007. UC and Atlanta clothing design label Project e teamed with EDIN, Eating Disorder Information Network, to raise awareness and educate students in middle schools, high schools, and colleges across America about the dangers of eating disorders. Project e hosted a Los Angeles red carpet event for the benefit of EDIN, and some of Hollywood’s biggest stars came out to show their support.
In January 2008, UC collaborated with Pets Are Loving Support (PALS) to launch an annual pet fashion fundraiser appropriately tagged “Doggies on the Catwalk.” Proceeds from the show benefited PALS, an Atlanta-based non-profit organization that is dedicated to keeping pets and owners together to share the healing power of love and companionship.
UrbanCouture, “Feed the Models,” and “Doggies on the Catwalk” are all products of E. Vincent Martinez’s creative vision and energy as well as his dedication to giving his students unique learning opportunities. Born in Havana, Cuba, Martinez came to the United States 38 years ago. He grew up in Miami where he remained to earn his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Barry University. Later he received a fellowship to spend two years at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. The seeds of his passion for fashion took root there in workshops in ceramics, bookmaking, weaving, textiles, surface design, photography and basket making. He received his MFA in photography in Rochester, NY at Rochester Institute of Technology. After earning his teaching certification at Georgia State University, Martinez joined the Grady High School faculty in 2002 and was named Grady’s 2007 Teacher of the Year.
After only 7 years, UrbanCouture is making a name for itself on the Atlanta fashion scene. Look out, America! With E. Vincent Martinez working with bold, bright and inspired student designers, the world will soon be UrbanCouture’s runway!
