Photos by Carlton Wolfe
www.carltonwolfe.com

(PHOENIX, Ariz., May 17, 2005) - When Galina Mihaleva immigrated to the United States in 1992 from Bulgaria, she spoke no English. Within three years she had somewhat mastered the English language and had graduated from the Phoenix College Fashion Design Program. These accomplishments were just the beginning to a successful designing career that was just around the corner.

"Once I began taking classes at Phoenix College, a chain of events followed," said Mihaleva. "Really…one thing led to another. I feel so blessed."

Mihaleva believes that her contact with the Fashion Design Program at Phoenix College sparked a positive chain of events. Although she had earned a master's degree in fashion design and textiles from the Academie of Fine Arts in Sofia, she attributes her recent success to her connection to Phoenix College.

"Phoenix College has such a great program with strong roots in the fashion community," she added. "There are programs out there that cost more than $60,000 and I must say that they are not as good or as demanding of students as this one."

Mihaleva's most recent success put her in direct contact with "the most widely acclaimed choreographer to emerge from the postmodern era," Trisha Brown. Mihaleva's costume designs were worn by dancers in Brown's world premiere of Motione at ASU's Galvin Playhouse. The dance company continued to showcase the production at the Lincoln Center in New York and in Holland and France.

Mihaleva has also designed costumes for Ballet Arizona, Sister Sledge, and Bill T. Jones. In addition, choreographers including Jo Kreiter, Yin Mei, Neta Pulvermacher, Thadius Davis, Tere O'Connor, Ron Brown, Fred Darsow, and David Dorfman sought out her original designs.

Her success continues to make waves as her designs are featured on live television and in printed publications. For instance, her work has been featured in Trends, Sonic, Phoenix Home and Garden, The Arizona Republic, and East Valley Tribune.

Mihaleva is an adjunct instructor in the Phoenix College Fashion Design Program and a costume designer for ASU's Department of Dance.

For more information on the Phoenix College Fashion Design Program, please call 602.285.7287.

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