This year, Syosset’s Long Island High School for the Arts Class of 2002 alumna Traci Krasilovsky celebrates a benchmark achievement in her career as a senior swimsuit designer for a major design corporation. Ten swimsuits from the junior private label that Krasilovsky designs for a major retail chain are featured in the 2014 Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition and on the Sports Illustrated website.
The retail chain is Krasilovsky’s central client through her parent company, Li & Fung. As senior designer, she wears many hats, from designing and presenting new collections, to acting as liaison between the production and technical design teams. She works closely with high-end designers, artists and print studios, attends fittings, conducts market research and forecasts market trends.
“I absolutely love my job,” Krasilovsky said. “I have total creative freedom. It’s challenging,” she added. “You have to prove yourself. But it’s also really rewarding. Every time I see someone wearing one of my designs I feel such a sense of accomplishment.” She credits Nassau BOCES for helping to pave the way. “Everyday after school my teachers would work with me on my portfolio. BOCES really prepared me for college and, ultimately, my career.”
Krasilovsky, who lives and works in New York City, is a natural in her field. By the age of 13 she knew she wanted to go into design and pursued her love through programs at the Rhode Island School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology. After attending the Long Island High School for the Arts, she attended Parsons New School for Design, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in fashion design.
“Traci was an outstanding student in the art department,” said her former art teacher and mentor Rae Raff. “She is conscientious and talented in the extreme. We are very proud of her and her wonderful accomplishments. It is no surprise she is such a remarkable success.”
