For senior Isaiah Somera, fashion is more than just clothing — it’s a medium of self-expression, a way to share his story and heritage with the world. Seeing him, you’ll notice his gold earrings of the Filipino sun. You’ll also notice the tattoo of his grandmother’s name in Tagalog on his neck, and the Filipino tribal tattoo on his forearm. To those around him, Isaiah’s style is a direct expression of his confidence and individuality.
“His style, his beautiful long hair, his jewelry, it’s a very intentional reflection of who he is,” Fashion Design & Textile Art instructor Johnny Vera said. “You just get a sense that he’s very comfortable in his own skin. That comes with the way he presents himself to the world.”
Isaiah’s dedication to fashion design led him to spend his senior year at Silicon Valley Career Technical Education — a trade school where he spends half his school day. It differs from the traditional high school experience by teaching skills related to specific career pathways. He’s currently attending the Fashion Design & Textile Art class. For his first semester, he learned how to draw models, build a fashion brand, and design clothes.
His journey began with admiration for the fashion around him since childhood. His mother, a lover of designer clothes, would bring him on shopping trips. His father, a shoe collector, introduced him to the world of footwear. His older sister, who designed and made her own clothes, became his first role model in creating garments.
“Since he was young, he would always come to school with the newest shoes,” longtime friend senior Amadeus Manzo said.
“At first I was just admiring the shoe itself,” Isaiah said. “But then I observed how people put it together and make an outfit with it.”
By eighth grade, Isaiah was already making his own creations. With help from his sister, he learned how to operate a sewing machine and completed his first project: hemming a pair of jeans.
This kickstarted Isaiah’s passion for fashion design, learning through YouTube and TikTok videos. One of his earliest projects was a pair of patchwork jeans made out of denim scraps, fabric paint, and bleach.
One of Isaiah’s assignments was designing a croquis — a fashion figure template used to design clothing. When most students approach this assignment, they typically design plain, traditional croquis, resembling nothing more than a plain silhouette. However, when Vera noticed Isaiah’s croquis, it immediately stood out. Instead of being traditional, Isaiah’s croquis had braids, jewelry, and a nose piercing — resembling himself.
“It was very powerful,” Vera said. “A lot of students just design fashion that they want to recreate, but when you look at his work, you get a sense that the inspiration is internal. He’s designing the clothes for himself.”
Isaiah’s day doesn’t just end at trade school. Afterward, he heads to work at a nursing home alongside Amadeus.
“At first, I was just looking for a job,” Isaiah said. “But I found that treating members of the home with respect is very rewarding to me.”
“When you talk to him, he listens to understand you,” Vera said. “He’s conscious about people’s body language and does check-ins to sense what they’re doing all the time, which is an art form in itself.”
His peers and teachers admire how Isaiah uses fashion as a tool to communicate his pride and values.
“Students like him have this powerful mindset: ‘We are beautiful too,’” Vera said. “They want to showcase that beauty, and you see it in Isaiah’s work, his inspirations, his connection to music, his family tree, and his heritage.”
As his friend since third grade and seeing Isaiah’s dedication to his craft firsthand, Amadeus has high hopes for Isaiah’s future in fashion.
“I hope he takes his fashion talents to the limit and the fullest extent he can,” Amadeus said. “I do believe that he is ready to do it. As long as he tries, he can do it.”
