March 05, 2014

Fashion Design graduate program alumna Rebeca Imperiano Lucena Porto (’13) has been chosen for the 2014 team of Designers-in-Residence at Macy’s Philadelphia Fashion Incubator, succeeding Fashion Design alumna Annina King (’05) as Drexel’s representative designer in the program. Porto was introduced with the rest of the 2014 class at a Feb. 27 press event at Macy’s Center City. She and fellow designers will spend the next year working at Macy’s to develop business models for potential new fashion brands, with access to office and work space, a showroom, curriculum, mentoring, and other important resources provided by the retailer.

Porto is a native of Brazil now living in Philadelphia. Her mother, Roberta, is also a fashion designer who owns a successful evening and wedding gown business. As a child, Porto traveled to many other countries in Latin America, Europe and the United States – experiences that shaped her wide range of design talents. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture and Urbanism from FAUPE in Recife, Brazil and an M.S. in Fashion Design from Drexel. She has won several Drexel awards, including the BCBG Max Azria and Emily Lung Accessory Design Award, the Pearl Miller Carpel Award for Best Swimwear as well as a Council of Fashion Designers of America ‘Approved’ certificate. She also served as a fashion design intern with Frank Agostino at his couture atelier.

Launched in March 2012, The Philadelphia Fashion Incubator at Macy’s, Center City, is non-profit organization and collaboration between the City of Philadelphia, Macy’s Center City, Center City District, and various educational institutions devoted to fashion design in Philadelphia.