Julia Petra has worked in the fashion industry since 2002. She launched Firehaus Studio as a platform for reworking and upcycling textiles. From opening her own stores to designing collections, she understands the value of a well crafted garment. Julia has made it her passion to educate consumers on the importance of manufacturing, how a garment is created and where, and how it should be discarded.

With sustainability at the forefront of her designs, she focuses on finding pieces that have been discarded and seeks those "thrown away" pieces at thrift stores and estate sales to breathe new life into them. She also teaches sewing at The New York Sewing Center. She has a worldly art education which started in her home-town of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

After working and practicing her art in NYC, Seattle, Paris and Berlin she continues to travel and share her passion for the arts. Her clay works are created in her studio in Madison County, North Carolina.