a fortes design was and is built by a designer in her twenties aspiring toward the creation of a

product that is equally functional and beautiful.  Creating a line of clothing that is simple and

modest was designer Janessa Bautista's first step into building a collection of products

incorporating her handmade textiles that hold utility along with style.

a fortes design is "a strong design" because the designer is striving to build clothes that hold

up and get better with wear.  Like with the hemp she uses in many of her textiles, the

durability and strength of the clothing and the softness that evolves over time with constant

wear is her intention.  Janessa is committed to using sustainable and local products and

services whenever possible, but does not by these means define her brand. Rather, fortes finds

meaning in the character of its home, New York City.  The designer is in her studio, on her

bicycle, popping in and around an American town full of redundancy in people and nature. 

Printing these living redundancies onto sustainable fibers and then photographing them in the

forest is something very deliberate. Conceptual prints of "families" or trees or butterflies

burst color out of the pockets of many garments, often contrasting to their hushed earth-

tones exteriors. Child-like simplicity and beauty is shot through such details and is an arc

over the entire fortes design studio.  Each garment produced can be worn to work in or

dressed up for whatever the evening holds.  a fortes design has set out to be a line that can be

lived in and worn over and over again, maintaining strength – the root of fortes.