Believing that fashion “mirrors what is important in our society” and embodies our vision of the future, Sarafpour began working with ecofriendly materials in 2008 to model a more sustainable lifestyle. Today her collections’ classic silhouettes, rich details, and environmentally friendly materials reflect the interplay between her own values and personality and those of the women who wear her clothes. Sarafpour was recently recognized for her contributions to the field with a prestigious National Design Award, given by Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

While designing collections under her own name and partnering with brands like Target (she was the first American to create a capsule collection for the successful Go International campaign), Sarafpour has stayed connected with her alma mater. “Parsons has always been the first place I looked to for recruiting creative talent,” she says.

What keeps her designing? “It never feels like work.”