KINGSTON, R.I. – April 18, 2025 – In a converted former red brick mill building in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, resides a contemporary studio/boutique with a sign above the door that reads “Amy Page DeBlasio.” Looking through several expansive windows, a vibrant array of clothing accentuates the rustic brick. The boutique is a distinctive feature in the old building.

For University of Rhode Island alumnus Amy Page DeBlasio ’15, the name above the door not only marks her fashion label but also embodies a uniqueness she has cherished since her teenage years.

She grew up exploring her creativity, constantly contemplating colors and art, even before earning a B.A. in Italian Language and Literature and a B.S. in Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design, from URI’s College of Business.

“I was painting, drawing, sculpting, from my earliest memories, my life revolved around art,” says DeBlasio. “I also got to travel and visit a lot of museums, so I was exposed to a lot of art.”

The Providence native attributes her passion for art to her journey into fashion design. As a teenager, she frequently analyzed dresses, envisioning ways to enhance them. And while most kids were seeking out what was popular or the latest fashion trend, DeBlasio, at age 16, insisted on getting a sewing machine and was stitching her own path. Driven to follow that path, she took a bold step and did something most high school juniors and seniors wouldn’t dream of.

“I started taking sewing lessons, and then I made my own prom dress,” said DeBlasio. “Looking back on it, I didn’t want to wear an ‘off the shelf’ prom dress like everybody else.”

DeBlasio was looking for a traditional university experience after high school rather than a design school, while remaining close to home. She was thrilled to learn that URI had such a well-known TMD program and was even more thrilled to be accepted.

“I wanted to get the traditional university experience with pep rallies and basketball games,” says DeBlasio. “I had gone to a private high school with a concentration in studio art, and we spent a lot of time at the Rhode Island School of Design campus, and I just really wanted a school with that comprehensive university feel.”

And that’s precisely what she found at URI, attending classes across the Kingston Campus, including in Quinn Hall which serves as the home for the TMD program. DeBlasio didn’t realize it at the time but a pivotal lesson would come when Susan Hannel, an associate professor of textiles, fashion merchandising and design, taught her how to grade a garment. DeBlasio also has wonderfully fond memories of Professor Hannel’s pattern-making class.

It wasn’t just academic lessons that she would take from campus. DeBlasio also took a class with a professor related to the Lacoste family and she still carries the swatch book.

“I just remember having really passionate, down-to-earth caring professors at URI, such as Professors Linda Welters and Karl Aspelund,” says DeBlasio.

And it’s that appreciation for her URI education and bond with the TMD program and professors that endures. She frequently makes the 40-minute drive to interact with students and alumni. In March, she was one of the recipients of the University’s 10 Under 10 Award. And on Sunday, April 27, she’ll be serving as emcee for the College of Business’ annual Spring Splash fashion show.

For DeBlasio, it’ll be a full-circle moment. She participated in the fashion show as an undergraduate. Of course, she fully admits at the time it took some prodding for her to participate. While she is a well-known designer in 2025, as a college senior in 2015 she was nervous about creating her own collection for the show.

Ultimately it was her pattern-making professor that convinced her to participate. And that show set her on the path to owning her design studio and business, which she founded in 2017.

“One of my best-selling pieces and something that all my bridesmaids wore, I originally designed for Spring Splash,” says DeBlasio. “It’s evolved over the years, and I have come out with different prints for it. It’s called ‘the Amy dress.’”

Though some of her prints have changed over the years, she’ll be the first to say that she doesn’t draw inspiration from any one source. She draws inspiration from all over. She’ll see an Oxford shirt and think of how she can make it better.

“These design ideas just come to me. And once they start, they don’t stop flowing,” said DeBlasio.

Spring Splash ultimately served as a launching pad for DeBlasio, marking the first of many shows in which her work would be featured, including StyleWeek Northeast, a showcase for emerging designers, and many other shows in places New York and Miami.

Her designs have even been displayed in the Worcester Art Museum in a first-of-its-kind exhibit examining the design evolution of baseball jerseys and their significant influence on streetwear and high fashion. The only female designer featured in this groundbreaking exhibition, DeBlasio had two pieces, including a baseball jersey dress. She described the jersey as a white striped polyester fabric for the main body and a multicolored polyester jacquard fabric for the placket, with black polyester satin fabric for the piping and sleeve stripes, and Geisha fabric-covered shank buttons.

“Basketball is my favorite sport to watch, but my designs were on a platform next to Gucci, Supreme, and Bathing Ape,” said DeBlasio. “Like it was wild to see my stuff near an outfit from the movie about Elton John.”

Despite her success, DeBlasio is always looking ahead. She is currently working on her fall collection and experimenting with online marketing to further enhance her brand.

The Spring Splash fashion show will take place, Sunday, April 27, in the University of Rhode Island’s Memorial Union Ballroom, 50 Lower College Road, Kingston. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. To purchase tickets for Spring Splash, visit the URI Foundation and Alumni Engagement website. General admission is $25. URI student admission is $10. There is also limited VIP seating available.