Sahra Bukhari
Textile/Surface Design BFA
Fashion Institute of Technology FIT
Graduates: 2026
Specialisms: Apparel / Textiles - Print / Womenswear
My location: Houston, United States
Sahra Bukhari
First Name: Sahra
Last Name: Bukhari
University / College: Fashion Institute of Technology FIT
Course / Program: Textile/Surface Design BFA
Graduates: 2026
Specialisms: Apparel / Textiles - Print / Womenswear
My Location: Houston, United States
Website: Click To See Website
About
I am an experienced fashion student, designer, and founder of Sahra Atelier, with a background that combines creative design, fashion business, branding, and communications. I hold a BFA in Textile Surface Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and have also completed studies in Fashion Business Essentials at Parsons School of Design, Fashion Advertising at University of the Arts London (UAL), and LVMH certification in Creation & Branding and Retail & Client Experience. I also earned a Marketable Skills Achievement Award in Digital Communications from Houston City College. As I continue to build my new business, Sahra Atelier, focusing on handbags, jewelry, and outerwear, I am also continuing my education to deepen my understanding of the business side of the fashion industry. I am currently enrolled at Houston City College and the Fashion Institute of Technology, pursuing additional associate-level studies in fashion business and management. My goal is to strengthen both my creative and commercial knowledge so I can continue developing Sahra Atelier with a strong foundation in design, branding, merchandising, and business strategy. My work has received international recognition, including Gold at the French Fashion Awards, Gold at the London Design Awards, Gold at the Rome Design Awards, and Platinum at the International Excellence Awards for “Threads of Hope.” I was also named a North America winner of the Global Sustainability Awards, received Second Place in the FGI Dallas Digital Fashion Portfolio competition, had one bag named La Luna Rose handbag accepted into the Accessories Council Design Excellence Awards, and currently I amshortlisted for the Arts Thread Global Creative Graduate Showcase 2026 in Accessories. I don’t believe there is an age limit to pursuing your dreams. I’m proud to have gained experience working with and around respected fashion names such as Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, and Calvin Klein, and I have also explored entrepreneurship through launching a skincare line and a menswear line. Those experiences helped shape my creative direction, but they also showed me how important the business side of fashion is. That is why I am continuing my education to strengthen my understanding of fashion business, merchandising, branding, and strategy. I’m now very excited to bring everything I’ve learned into the next chapter of my journey with the launch of Sahra Atelier, focusing on sculptural handbags, jewelry, and outerwear.
Reimagined Concept: LACE IT – A Modular Circular Conceptual description LACE IT is a circular textile concept that transforms discarded shoelaces into a modular, handcrafted fabric system for fashion and beachwear. Inspired by traditional knotting techniques and contemporary zero-waste design, the project reimagines an overlooked waste stream as a flexible, repairable, and reconfigurable material with a second life. Rather than treating shoelaces as disposable accessories, they are cleaned, sorted, and hand-knotted into diamond-grid textile panels that can be assembled into garments, accessories, and lifestyle products. The modular construction allows individual sections to be replaced, resized, or restyled, extending product lifespan and encouraging mindful consumption. A single set of panels can be transformed into multiple silhouettes, including dresses, cover-ups, skirts, tops, bags, and beachwear. LACE IT challenges conventional ideas of textile production by eliminating fabric offcuts and celebrating craftsmanship, adaptability, and reuse. It demonstrates how existing materials can be elevated through thoughtful design into beautiful, functional pieces while reducing landfill waste and the demand for virgin resources. The project promotes circularity, creative repair, and emotional durability, proving that fashion can evolve through regeneration rather than replacement. Technical description LACE IT is constructed from reclaimed shoelaces collected from post-consumer and post-industrial waste streams. The laces are cleaned, sorted by material and colour, and hand-knotted into a standardized diamond-grid textile structure using secure overhand and square knot techniques. This creates a lightweight, flexible, and breathable fabric without conventional weaving or knitting. The textile is developed as modular panels that can be joined, detached, repaired, or resized using loops and lacing connections, enabling garments to evolve over time with minimal waste. The open-mesh geometry provides natural flexibility and body conformity while reducing the need for cutting, thereby eliminating fabric offcuts during assembly. Pattern development is achieved by varying grid density, panel dimensions, and knot spacing to contour the body and create different silhouettes. The same construction method can be adapted into dresses, cover-ups, skirts, tops, bags, and accessories using interchangeable components. By extending the life of an existing material through low-energy craftsmanship and modular engineering, LACE IT demonstrates an alternative textile system that prioritizes reuse, repairability, customization, and circular design over conventional linear production.
Competitions
