The dim light of a cluttered studio dances across half-finished sketches, bolts of fabric strewn across the floor like a flowing river, and the hum of a sewing machine creates a rhythmic heartbeat in the room. The aspects of Analu Raimont and her inspiring story are capable of showing the world that no matter what, you can consistently achieve your goals with hard work.
2021 PPCHS graduate Analu Raimont grew up around the arts after her mother and father were cameramen for Univision. Growing up, she’d spend most of her free time doodling, taking dance lessons for Jazz, Tap, and Flamenco, and occasionally watching movies with her brother in her spare time.
She has always had the study of arts close to her heart. She states, “My brother started doing the arts when I was very young, and my mom would always put me in art-based summer camps or even teach me how to draw because she used to paint when she was young.” Raimont adds, “My favorite [summer camp], however, was always theater. I always had a soft spot for performing, especially singing.” With an old piano beside her, Raimont and her brother would sing together and even watch many musicals at the Broward Center that soon “became a second home.”
As Raimont was heavily into theater, she understood that she had always loved performing but was still fixated on being a fashion designer. Raimont expresses how “I wanted to be a fashion designer when I grew up, but my drawings always looked like something for Disney or cosplay, so I ended up feeling stuck until my mom took over the drama club at PPCMS.” This would be the start of Raimont’s love for the theater field while also pursuing her artwork.
Raimont didn’t believe she could produce a life-long career in the costume design department until she was in her first couple of years in high school. After meeting a couple of teachers like Mrs. Kidd and Mrs. Abreu, they were the ones who inspired her to discover the art of costume design.
Raimont also adds more about her journey after she met Mrs. Abreu. Raimont states how, most of her days, she’d be sketching in class on her homework, quiz sheets, and even class work. When Mrs. Abreu asked what she was writing, Raimont referred to her sketching as “strange outfits,” to which Mrs. Abreu replied with, “They are not strange. They are costumes,” allowing Raimont to envision costume design as an actual career. Mrs. Abreu was the first person to introduce Raimont to costume design which, she says, forever impacted her high school career. Because of Mrs. Abreu’s comment introduced Raimont to the world of costume design, which would forever change her high school career.
Along with Mrs. Abreu’s assistance in discovering the introduction of her path, Raimont adds that her mother was also a considerable influence, helping her research about the design industry. Raimont says, “Once I discovered my passion for it, my mom was very supportive, but she [ensured] that I worked for my career…” Raimont describes that if she “Told Karina Raimont I wanted to work at Publix, she would say I don’t care what you do, as long as YOU work the hardest to make it happen.” Her mother inspired her to work hard to pursue her career. Raimont says her mother has gone to all her shows and continues to brag to everyone about her work.
Raimont expresses how when wanting to be in the arts, it shouldn’t just be done for the aspect of getting famous but rather to do it for the love of craft, “at the end of the day, the reality is that only a select few will become famous but a lot of people can make a living and be happy doing what they love in this industry.” She says this hoping someday that people will recognize her name in the playbill or even at the end of the credits of a feel and feel inspired to pursue costume design or even speak to her and ask about the steps she has taken to allow others to say she had “made it in the industry.”
After she graduated from PPCHS, Raimont is currently attending UCF. She was accepted into the Bachelor of Fine Arts Design and Technology program and is planning to graduate this coming spring in 2025. Even though she’s only at the start of her career, Raimont has been given opportunities to design for college productions such as The Clean House and her upcoming project that will appear at the Dr. Phillips Center in April 2025, The Fiddler on the Roof.
Along the way, Raimont has found multiple hobbies to fill her spare time. “I consider myself to be someone super crafty. At one point, I realized I love to make delicious foods for others, paint my nails with fun designs, and anything I can do with my own hands brings me joy,” Raimont recounts, feeling like her hobbies fit very well with her career path.
Raimont grew up surrounded by different kinds of arts, and she continues to try to become an inspiring role model to those interested or still in the shadows of wanting to grow in the costume design industry. With the help of her mother, teachers, and the rest of her family, Raimont has been able to get out of her comfort zone and break into a new flower of color, creativity, and diversity among her projects and hobbies.
