9-year-old fashion designer catches the attention of Vera Wang: ‘I was freaking out’
9-year-old Kaia Aragon is on her way to becoming the world’s next big fashion designer.
The third-grader has gone viral on TikTok for creating trendy clothes that she’s designed and sewed herself. She’s created over 30 pieces that make up her “Kaia Rae Design” collection, which she posts about on her mom Tonya Aragon’s TikTok account with a following of over 600k, thanks to Kaia.
During Friday’s appearance on TODAY, Kaia and her mom talked about Kaia’s journey into the fashion world. And naturally, Kaia came dressed to impress with a design of her own, featuring the New York City skyline at the hem.
How did Kaia get so good at making clothes?
Aragon started to teach Kaia how to sew when she was just five years old, and in 2020, Tonya bought her daughter her first sewing machine. That’s when Kaia started to take fashion design seriously.
The first things she made was a bed for her kitten and a wallet, and then Kaia turned her attention to clothes.
After getting a dress form for Christmas, the fashionista went through a period where she made a new outfit every single day for several weeks. Kaia has slowed down production since then, but she’s still making new designs whenever she can.
Aragon said that she had “no idea her mind worked in this way” and was “blown away” by her talent, especially because she only taught her the basics of using a sewing machine.
How does Kaia put together her designs?
Instead of figuring out what she wants to create through sketching, Kaia chooses whatever fabric she likes and goes from there.
“Most of the outfits I pick out, they don’t look like they go together, but the second I put them on, they literally go perfect,” she said.
“That’s called an eye for fashion,” Savannah Guthrie responded.
Kaia gets her inspiration from everywhere. She once made a dress that was inspired by the house in the Disney movie, “Encanto,” and an outfit that “Project Runway” season two contestant Nick Verreos challenged her to make that was inspired by figure skating.
Kaia’s designs have been admired by Vera Wang
Kaia’s designs have become so popular that high-end fashion designer Vera Wang has already taken note.
After one of Kaia’s pieces caught her attention on TikTok, Wang commented “Love <3” and sent Kaia a new sewing machine, purple knapsack and handwritten note that said, “So excited to see you are already pursuing your dream of becoming a fashion designer.”
“I was so surprised,” Kaia said about the sentimental gifts.
However, she noted that she didn’t know who Wang was at first when she commented on her TikTok. It wasn’t until Kaia looked up Wang that she realized just how big of a deal she was.
“I was freaking out,” Kaia said.
What’s next for Kaia?
Although she’s young, Kaia has some big dreams.
“When I grow up, I’m hoping to have a fashion business with my best friend … Ariana,” she said.
She’s already working on her next amazing project: Kaia is making a skirt from a 1983 wedding dress that one of her followers on TikTok sent her.