Making Waves with Priscilla Celentano: The Rising Star of Avant-Garde Couture

In a world of fast fashion and fleeting trends, Priscilla Celentano is a revelation. The American-based designer is redefining the parameters of avant-garde and haute couture with a fierce sense of individuality, sustainability, and storytelling. Self-taught and unapologetically original, Celentano doesn’t just design clothing—she crafts wearable narratives.

At just 12 years old, Celentano began sewing ballroom dance costumes for her own performances and competitions, unknowingly stitching together the beginnings of a promising design career. Her early love for theatrical flair and functionality now pulses through every one of her couture creations. Armed with an AAS in Advertising and Marketing Communications from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a BS in Nutrition from Arizona State University, Celentano’s background is as eclectic as her designs—but fashion has always been her compass.

Her debut collection, Making Waves, is a handmade triumph of both form and feeling. Celentano spent hundreds of hours breathing life into each piece, using only upcycled and thrifted materials—a bold commitment to sustainable luxury. The haute couture swimwear, accessories, and footwear in the collection serve as a visual symphony of the emotional spectrum. Inspired by the metamorphosis of a thunderstorm into a field of blooming flowers, the collection is an ode to resilience and rebirth, mirroring the lives of the strong women who shaped her.

Every garment in Making Waves commands attention with unapologetic power. Spikes, vinyl puffer sleeves, and tactical hardware don’t just accessorize—they armor. These design elements evoke protection, grit, and survival, making each look not just fashion-forward, but fiercely personal. Each piece becomes a declaration: beauty does not ask for permission—it insists on being seen, on its own terms.

What sets Celentano apart isn’t just her undeniable talent—it’s her refusal to compromise. In a saturated industry, her work feels like a rare, deliberate breath. She’s not following trends; she’s writing her own rules.

And she’s just getting started.

Next up, Celentano will bring her signature aesthetic to the heart of New York’s Garment District as she steps into window design for Hai Trim & Feathers—an iconic name seen on Project Runway. It's a fitting next chapter for a designer who’s always understood the value of spectacle, texture, and bold first impressions.

Trendsetters, keep your eyes on Priscilla Celentano. She’s not just making waves—she’s a rising tide.

Read more in the latest issue of Trendsetters Only.