Aattam

(i) — Statement

Each garment I create is meant to invite interpretation, dialogue and curiosity — clothing as a vessel for meaning.

— Fiza Riyas

(ii) — About

fashion design.

drape& textile.

stories told in cloth.

Fiza Riyas hand-stitching in the studio

Fiza Riyas — Fashion Design — India / Dubai / San Francisco / Florence, Italy

I am a fashion design student originally from India, raised in Dubai, and currently based in San Francisco. My design practice is rooted in storytelling and emotional connection — each garment I create is meant to invite interpretation, dialogue, and curiosity. I believe clothing can be more than functional or beautiful; it can be a vessel for meaning.

Throughout my academic journey at the Academy of Art University, I've explored drape, textile development, cultural narratives, and emotional design. I gravitate toward silhouettes that emerge from process rather than prescription, often beginning with fabric manipulation or handcraft. My work embraces imperfection, layered symbolism, and the tactile quality of making.

I'm especially interested in interdisciplinary collaboration, sustainability, and design that sparks conversation. Whether through conceptual collections or wearable experiments, I aim to create fashion that resonates — visually and emotionally.

Origin
India
Raised
Dubai
Based
San Francisco
Currently
Florence, Italy

Education

  • Academy of Art University2021—2025Fashion Design — San Francisco. GPA 3.98
  • IED — Istituto Europeo di Design2026Exchange semester — Florence

Experience

  • Freda SalvadorOct—Dec 2025Product Development Intern — samples & fittings, tech packs, material library, trend research

(iii) — Index of works

3 chapters

Chapter (01)

Thesis collection — 2025

a thesis on Theyyam, ritual & fire

Aattam — Malayalam for dance — takes its fire from Theyyam, the ritual performance of North Kerala in which the dancer becomes the deity. Its towering headdresses, red cloth and layered, sculptural costume are translated into pleated volume, ruffle and drape.

Editorial — 16 looks

Process book

Theyyam research, collage, pleat tests and toiles — the collection before it was a collection.

Chapter (02)

Muslin, pleat & process — 2024—25

Silhouettes that emerge from process rather than prescription. Pleated muslin is manipulated directly on the form until the shape tells her where it wants to go.

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In motion

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“My work embraces imperfection, layered symbolism, and the tactile quality of making.”

Chapter (03)

Illustration & textile development — 2024

Print, collage and surface studies around the witch of Slavic folklore and her forest. Ink drawing becomes pattern, pattern becomes cloth.

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(iv) — Contact

Open to collaborations, internships & conversation

Florence
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San Francisco
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© 2026 Fiza Riyas

All images © the designer