By Cary Shuman
Isabella Castro Correa may be just now embarking on her journey to become an internationally known fashion designer, but she already has a prestigious accomplishment on her resume, thanks to the Boston Arts Academy Foundation.
Castro Correa, a 2026 graduate of Boston Arts Academy who lives in Jamaica Plain, was one of three students selected to design a skating costume for Olympic figure skater Isabeau Levito for a future exhibition program.
“Costumes are such an important part of bringing a program to life, so I’m really excited to see how these talented designers interpret the inspiration behind my exhibition program,” Levito said. “It’s especially meaningful to be able to collaborate with young artists from Boston and give them the opportunity to bring their creativity to the ice.”
Castro Correa, 18, displayed her costume sketches at the U.S. Figure Skating x Fashion: Styling 2027 exhibition held Aug. 26 at View Boston in the Prudential Center. Hundreds of guests at the exhibition viewed her designs and were able to vote for the top designer via social media. The winning design has not been announced.
U.S. Figure Skating and the Boston Arts Academy Foundation had partnered to select Castro – and two other Boston Arts Academy alumnae, Ynez Corea of Mattapan and Cecilia Maria Dominguez of Roxbury (who are now studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City) – for the honor of designing a costume for Levito.
For the competition, Castro Correa designed “a pink, strapless skating gown that has a half-sleeve and is in bright Barbie pink with pearls, glitter, and ruffles.”
Castro Correa has begun her studies at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) in Boston in a four-year program.
“I’m going to study Fashion Design and explore other classes,” said Castro Correa. “But I know what career I want to pursue and it’s definitely in fashion design.”
Castro Correa said her four years as a student at Boston Arts Academy were “a great experience.”
“Boston Arts Academy is a great school,” said Castro Correa. “They completely evolved me as an artist. The teachers and staff saw my potential and qualities that I didn’t know that I had, and they eventually pushed me to be the artist that I am. Without my school, my teachers, and my classmates, I wouldn’t be the designer that I am now.”
At the U.S. Figure Skating exhibition, Castro Correa wore a dress that was part of her first collection of designs.
Isabella’s mother, Juliana Correa, and her 14-year-old sister, Manuela Castro, supported Isabella at the fashion exhibition.
During the fashion event at which Isabella met Olympic gold medalist Alisa Liu and two-time Olympic skater Johnny Weir, Isabella made it a point to express her gratitude to the Boston Arts Foundation for the chance to showcase her designs in front of a large audience.
The Boston Arts Foundation is an independent non-profit organization that supports Boston Arts Academy, the city and Commonwealth’s only public high school for visual and performing arts.
“While talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not. It is the work of individuals, corporations and philanthropy that makes opportunity possible,” said Denella J. Clark, President and CEO of Boston Arts Academy Foundation. “Boston Arts Academy was founded on a public-private partnership, and I am grateful for the opportunity for Boston Arts Academy alumni to have their talent recognized and celebrated on a national stage through U.S. Figure Skating. These three alumni represent the creativity, discipline and possibility that can emerge when talent is matched with opportunity.”