Clothing designer pays tribute to Mexican roots through her fashion brand

HOUSTON, Texas -- Paola Contreras Katz never thought she would make a living designing clothing. Her family moved from Mexico to Houston shortly before she was born. Katz's maternal grandmother taught her to sew on trips back to Mexico, where her love of fashion started to bloom. After working in the business world for a few years after college Katz decided to pursue her passion and go to school for fashion design at the Art Institute of Houston. After several years she opened her brand, Inclan Studio, using her grandmother's maiden name.

"For us, Inclan is an ode to women's lineage, but also my grandmother. She was a single mother, she had two jobs, and she raised four kids," said Katz. "She's just such an inspiration behind the brand."

Every piece the studio sells is made at its space in Midtown Houston. Since it opened in 2014, the brand has grown to sell to boutiques all over the country with three full-time employees, three full-time contract sewers, and a contract cutter. Houston's diversity is the inspiration behind the Inclan Studio's fall 2022 line.