Meet the Makers

At Luz Studio, founder Roberto Silva is reimagining what fashion manufacturing can look like in New York City as a clothing sample developer and consultant. A formally trained fashion designer, Roberto has been sewing since he was a teenager. After years working in retail, he returned to his craft through the Brooklyn Fashion and Design Accelerator at Pratt Institute. When that program closed, he carried the work forward—first in his basement, then in a dedicated Bed Stuy studio.

Five years later, Luz Studio has become a trusted space for emerging designers who need more than just production. “What we do here is also, in a way, train them to be able to make their own decisions and to make them understand what this is all about,” Roberto explains. Instead of requiring clients to arrive with perfect tech packs (detailed instructions for the garment maker), he helps them start from sketches, guiding them through sourcing, pattern-making, and sewing until they have an industry-ready sample. “When I explain, ‘This garment is going to cost you this much work and this much effort,’ they are able to understand exactly how it’s made—and they’re better set up to continue.”

This hands-on, one-on-one process is central to Luz Studio’s philosophy. Roberto insists on doing much of the pattern-making and sewing himself, both to maintain quality and because, as he admits with a laugh, “I would be very happy to just sew every day.” By slowing down the process, he gives clients the space to refine their vision. “If I rush them into something just for me to make samples and profit, I don’t think that’s good for them. It’s really about getting it right.”

Roberto also emphasizes the deeper value of garment-making itself. Recalling advice he once heard from a fashion school director, he notes: “Clothing is one of our main necessities. It’s like eating, housing, clothing ourselves. So right there, there’s an industry that continues to grow, continues to evolve. But I think it’s been taken for granted. For the sole reason that we need to put clothes on ourselves, it should be spoken about differently.”

During the pandemic, when many larger houses shut down, Luz Studio grew even busier as independent designers finally pursued long-dreamed-of projects. This unexpected boom confirmed the vital role of small, flexible spaces in sustaining NYC’s fashion ecosystem.

Sustainability is another pillar of the studio. By encouraging clients to source fabrics from the Garment District and embrace deadstock, Roberto helps keep local distributors alive while reducing waste. “I’ve been using a lot of fabrics that people have left here, or fabrics that I find, and I just feel good to know that this is going to have another life—an extra life—and somebody is going to be able to enjoy it,” he says. He even turns leftover textiles into patchwork jackets, further extending the lifespan of materials.

Although much of the work is his own, Roberto acknowledges the importance of collaboration. He has an assistant, Alanna Beneroff—also a Pratt Institute graduate—who brings her own perspective to the studio. “She’s very much into upcycling and recycling and vintage. She has a great collection of vintage stuff, and she’s also a stylist,” he explains. “So when she comes, everything is cut, everything is prepped, everything is ready. There are days she only does hand sewing, which is something that is really appreciated. She helps with other aspects of the business because she’s really, really talented. I think I really lucked out with her.”