Traci Peace (Founder/Executive Director), is a fourth generation San Franciscan, and has a B.A. in Child Psychology from San Francisco State University. Traci has studied Italian for the fashion industry at Linguadue Scoula di Italiano in Milan, Italy, as well as continued study at Istituto Italiano di Cultura in San Francisco. She is a fashion stylist, and has styled and consulted with bay area media personalities, Carlstrom Productions-San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, given fashion reports for WILD 94.9 morning radio show "The Dog House", interviewed former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown on "Men and High Fashion", and has worked with Paramount/Dreamworks Pictures for the Oscar winning film "DreamGirls". Traci has also been a theatrical dresser for the Tony award winning Broadway shows "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Chicago", American Conservatory Theater's "A Christmas Carol", Ballet San Jose's "Coppelia", and "Romeo and Juliet". She has also worked with Elton John and Billy Joel on their "Face to Face" concert tour. Traci has also worked with M3 Productions for one of most prestigious Academy Award events, Jeffrey Katzenberg's 2008 "The Night Before" Party and the "In Style Magazine" 2008 Oscar Party. She has organized and arranged fashion field trips for young fashion enthusiasts to tour renowned designer show rooms in New York City (Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Tracy Reese). Traci has the honor of being invited twice a year (February/September) to The New York Collections (Fashion Week), where the top design houses showcase their Spring/Fall collections for high fashion magazine/newspaper editors, retailers, stylists and celebrities around the world. She has secured internships at New York fashion houses, as well as opportunities for her students to work during the New York Collections (Fashion Week). In September 2008 Traci took her students to New York for a fashion field trip. They were invited by TEEN VOGUE MAGAZINE for a private tour. Their tour was the week of the Spring 2009 New York Collections - Fashion Week. Traci was able to arrange for her students to work backstage during the shows dressing many of the models they see each month in Vogue and Teen Vogue Magazine. She has been a guest speaker for The San Francisco Public Utilities Commision/Thurgood Marshall Academic High School, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center/South San Francisco and James Denman Middle School annual Youth Career Day events. Traci's love affair with fashion started when she was a little girl. She was influenced by the impeccably dressed men and women she saw at church each Sunday. But, it was her grandmother who introduced her to European designed clothing and her great-grandfather (a Minister and Pastor) who dressed daily in custom tailored suits and shirts that catapulted her love of high fashion to the stratosphere. She also credits former CNN Style Editor, Elsa Klench and current Editor-at-Large, Andre Leon Talley of Vogue Magazine for maintaing her stratospheric love of high fashion. Traci has been funding Visions Of La Moda since it's inception. She is determined that her students not only be prepared for advance study at the world's top fashion schools, colleges and universities, but also for LIFE in general. Rose Villanueva (Fashion Illustration/Visual Merchandising Instructor - Chief Instructor), received a B.A. from San Francisco State University in Fashion Design in which she learned all the technical skills needed for the industry. Her strong point was fashion illustration, and her illustrations have been published in the S.F. Chronicle's Millennium Dress Contest and in the Philippine News. She has also participated in the S.F. Graphic Industry Paper Fashion show where one of her designs was made out of paper. Rose has also taken her education abroad to France receiving a Certificate of Completion from the Paris Fashion Institute. There she learned more insight and knowledge of fashion in Europe from couture to ready-to- wear. Upon returning home, Rose broadened her fashion experience working as a visual merchandise designer for Macy's West and most recently Neiman Marcus San Francisco. There she applied her merchandising and visual design skills through various forms. Currently she is the Visual Merchandising Manager for GUCCI - Northern California. Rose was inspired by her grandmother, who was always fashionably dressed and a "jack of all trades". Her grandmother's fashion expertise included being a great seamstress and pattern maker. Rose continues to pursue her love for the industry in all aspects. In Rose's words: "I always look for the beauty, humor and love in life. That's what keeps me going"! Tenneh Wilkins (Fashion Design Instructor), graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.A. in Fashion Design. Tenneh was born in Washington D.C, but spent her childhood years in her parent’s native country Monrovia, Liberia. As a child, she watched her mother adorn herself in exotic West African robes, and intricately carved gold jewelry. She emulated her mother through crayon illustrations of lavishly ornamented gowns. She vividly remembers seeing vibrant colors and rich hues in everything typical of a tropical country. Fashion and life was everywhere. While at the University of Rhode Island, through a business management and planning course, she realized her greatest potential was in Fashion Design. She recently graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a Master of Fine Arts in Fashion Design. Her plans include venturing into entrepreneurship and developing her own clothing line. Mercedes Kerrison (Fashion Merchandising Instructor), graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a BFA in Fabric Styling. Employment includes working for retail locations, which include Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. She recently graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Merchandising. Currently, she is working for Calvin Klein in product develpment.
Margaret-Grace Stewart (Visual Merchandising Instructor) graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Fashion Merchandising. She was raised in Modesto, California amongst a household of seven siblings and two caring parents. Fashion is her passion, but family and community are always a main focus. Margaret moved to San Francisco in 2004 to study Apparel Design and Merchandising at San Francisco State University. She spent a year abroad in Milan, Italy studying Italian and fashion design at the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA). While abroad Margaret became fluent in Italian and expanded her global view of the fashion industry. She also realized the strong importance of community. Currently she is serving the local Bayview community at Southeast preschool through a program called Jumpstart, which works on early childhood literacy and kindergarten preparation. Margaret has earned over one thousand community service hours as an Americorps member and is so grateful for the opportunity to provide herself as a service amongst these local communities. Her background includes visual merchandising and sales ranging from large corporations like Macy’s Stonestown, San Francisco, to small boutiques like The Passionate Athlete in Walnut Creek. She credits her natural design talent to her main inspiration and motivation, her mother, who taught Margaret at very young age the beauty and essence of fashion design. Margaret continues to integrate her knowledge of sustainable fashion with her interest in the grass roots movement. Paula Soares (Fashion Design/French Instructor)was born and raised in Aracaju, Brazil. Paula’s passion for fashion started at the age of 15 when she began dressing models and doing backstage organization for fashion shows. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design from the Federal University of Ceara. Shortly thereafter she moved to Franceto improve her French Skillsand work for the ready-to-wear company “Candy For Richmen”. In January 2008, she returned to Brazil where she found her true path as a senior designer in swimwear for the company “Sol e Bronze” (“Sun and Tan”). She moved to San Francisco in 2009 and decided to contribute to Visions of La Moda with her creativity and communication skills. Paula is fluent in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. Alika Mailly (Visual Merchandisng Instructor) She has a B.A. in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing. Alika was born and raised in Southern California’s OrangeCounty and moved to San Francisco in 2006. She recently studied in Nice, France for 6 months at the CERAM business school obtaining her marketing degree. She coached gymnastics in OrangeCounty for 3 years teaching girls and boys ages 18 months to 15 years old. Alika has worked with companies such as Nordstrom, American Eagle, Club Monaco, and Sunhee Moon. Her interest in fashion came from her mother and great grandmother who always told her to be yourself.
Julia Soares Barboza (Chief Youth Counselor/Executive Assistant) is a native San Franciscan. She received her B.A. in Sociology and her Master's in Counseling with emphasis in School Counseling from Saint Mary’s College of California. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she volunteered with an organization called Lasallian Volunteers where she worked in an elementary school as a librarian, tutor, basketball coach, teachers’ assistant in Harlem, New York and Memphis, Tennessee. Julia has a social services background where she has provided resources and services for children and their families. During her field studies for her Master's degree, she interned at San Francisco's Youth Guidance Center where she worked with "young detainees" talking to and introducting them to "higher eduation". She also interned at De Marillac Academy in San Francisco's Tenderloin District, where she counseled students individually regarding their academic, social and emotional need. Julia is Ms. Peace's very first student in Visions of La Moda. Through the program she was also the first to be placed as an intern during the New York Collections (Fashion Week) for two consecutive seasons (Spring/Fall). She's volunteered with GenArt, Macy's Passport Annual Fashion Show and other local fashion projects. Julia has also accompanied Ms. Peace as a guest speaker at local high schools. She has intertwined fashion with counseling students and with her passion for fashion coupled with her love for helping young people, the sky is the limit. Julia is dedicated to her work and has the passion as well as the motivation to help students reach their highest potential.