Jenny Polanco

Polanco was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on January 18, 1958.[1] As a child, she began making clothing and costumes for her Barbie dolls.[1] Polanco would later design clothing for herself during college.[1] She earned her degree in interior design from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña in Santo Domingo.[1] Polanco then attended Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she studied patternmaking, draping, and tailoring methods, all of which would be incorporated into her professional collections.[1] Additionally, Polanco was also active in the creative arts, including choreography and painting, though fashion remained the major focus of her work.[1]

Polanco's professional career in fashion and the creative arts spanned more than 37 years.[2] She described her own style as "a fluid dialogue between classic avant-garde style and the Caribbean."[1] She often incorporated design elements common in the Dominican Republic and surrounding region into her work, including detailing made from coral, horn, nacre, and larimar, a blue pectolite found only in the Dominican Republic.[1] Polanco was also known for utilizing signature colors, especially amber and white, into her fashions.[2] She used Caribbean amber, found in her country, to craft buttons and jewelry.[1] Her most recent 2020 spring collection featured both pastel and bright colors, as well as floral designs.[2]

Polanco owned several boutiques in the Dominican Republic. She also aided the arts and emerging designers in her country by opening an arts and crafts store called Project.[1]

On March 4, 2020, Polanco returned to the Dominican Republic following a trip to Madrid.[1] She developed coronavirus symptoms five days after returning from Spain and was soon quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19. Polanco was admitted to a Santo Domingo hospital on March 18, 2020, after experiencing breathing difficulties.[1]

Polanco died from complications of COVID-19 at the hospital in Santo Domingo on March 24, 2020, at the age of 62.[1][2] Polanco was the first public figure to die from the pandemic in the Dominican Republic, as well as the country's sixth COVID-19 victim at the time.[2] Her death was announced by the Dominican Minister of Public Health, Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas.[2]