RAYMOND BIO
Raymond Pizarro is the president of Pizarro Designs & Co., Inc. since 1982.
Pizarro Designs is a custom, made to order clothing company and a costume design studio located in Harlem, N.Y.C.
Mr. Pizarro began his love affair with the rag trade at the age of 17, meeting a tailor, Joseph Brown who wore exquisite clothing that he designed and made. After commissioning him to have 3 pairs of slacks made upon picking them up and seeing how beautifully they were made, he then declared he would love to learn how to make clothes. Mr. Brown then said to him if he was serious to meet him at his shop afterschool. He did and the apprenticeship went on for 2 years.
After learning how to make menswear, he then decided to learn about making womenswear.
This was during the golden age of disco! He began to give small fashion shows at popular discoteques such as Leviticus, Justine’s and Pegasus all in Manhattan. That’s how he acquired his newfound clientele through his shows and word of mouth.
He opened his first shop in 1982 on 7th Ave in Harlem.
His first foray into costume design came in 1983 for the Frank Silvera’s workshop piece called “The Contract” which led to other shows such as Julius Hemphill’s Long Tongues: A Saxophone Opera at the Apollo theater. Contributing costumes to Maurice Hines’ “Broadway: Red Hot”Jackee Harry @ Sweetwaters, “Driving While Black”,Written and Directed by award winning writer Ron Beverly. “A Jazz Opera: Philip Mazzei” for Teatromania. “Easy Livin’ ,A Story about the Jazz Great, Clifford Brown “ Directed by Leon Pinkney and written by Samuel Harps. “Shades of Harlem: The Cotton Club Musical” Produced by the Tribeca Performing Arts Center and last but certainly not least, “The Dark Star from Harlem: A Tribute to Josephine Baker” Written and Directed by Glyn Borders at La Mama Theater
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