As progressive as we’d like to imagine society has become, the pressure on women to “have it all” is as stifling as ever. But fashion designer TC Alvarez takes a different approach to it: she loves her family, and she loves her job. Is there a reason she can’t have both?

Though Alvarez had to stop designing to start a family in 2003, nothing could stop her from pursuing her passion for style for long. Within five years, she started her own brand with her sister called Two Chic, where she gets to make clothes the way she likes them, putting her own unique spin on current trends and giving lots of attention to detail. “I want to make clothes that are very interesting, clothes that have a lot of character, and clothes that elicit an emotional response,” says Alvarez, “That’s why I like making pieces that are very emotional.”

TC Alvarez follows trends like any other fashion designer, but for her, it’s what you do with these trends that can make or break your style. For this designer, uniqueness is key. “The trick is how I’d interpret [trends],” she shares. “Each designer’s interpretation is where the difference comes from.”

Her inspiration for her designs includes her family. A huge corkboard in her design studio holds all her visual ideas, which includes drawings made by her kids. Juggling fashion design, managing a brand, and raising a family is tough, but it’s an act Alvarez doesn’t mind balancing.

Photos by Jilson Seckler Tiu

Source: Allec Testado for Northern Living, “Too Chic For Milan, New York, and Japan,” January 2014