Yoana Baraschi Online Store Born in Bucharest, Romania, Yoana Baraschi was raised in a family of artists, rich in culture and style. Her mother, Elli Baraschi, was an educator and a true fashion icon who felt that being stylish and elegant was the ultimate creative expression for a woman. Her father, Constantin Baraschi, a leading figure in the Romanian art world, was a renowned sculptor and Dean of the Fine Arts Institute. Following in his footsteps, Yoana studied drawing and sculpture from a very early age. She continued her artistic studies at the Fine Arts Institute of Bucharest where she received a BA in Sculpture. In 1978, a few years after the death of her parents, Yoana left communist Romania for Paris, where she got her first design job working for Emmanuelle Khahn as an embroidery designer. During her four years in Paris, she also worked at Studio de Style Jean Azel as an associate designer on collections such as Leonard, Cacharel, Mugler, and Faconable. The turning point of Yoana’s designer career came in 1999, when she began working as Creative Director for Betsey Johnson. She was heavily influenced by not only business success the company had achieved, but also Betsey’s own originality and vision. It was this time period that allowed Yoana the courage to live her own vision and believe that she could start her own collection. In 2002, armed with her first sample collection created in her bedroom, Yoana was able to find a showroom to represent her line, received her first order from Saks Fifth Avenue, and was invited to participate in the esteemed Intermezzo Trade Show. |  |