Creative mind aligned

When Jim McCabe ’76 showed up late for his principles of accounting class, he seated himself beside Joyce De Arco ’76 and admired her distinctive handbag.

“Is that from Panama?” Jim inquired. “I lived there once.”

“She looked at me like that was a line or something,” Jim recalled with a laugh. “And then she told me to be quiet, because we were in class.”

When they talked after class, however, Joyce, a native Panamanian, realized Jim had indeed lived in her home country for a few years during childhood, when his father was sent there for his job. They bonded over their love for Panamanian culture and their global perspective

“It was clear even at UD that Joyce had an artistic flair,” Jim said.

Fifty years later, that artistic flair has transformed Joyce McCabe into one of the most acclaimed fashion designers in her native Panama. Her vibrant, flowing designs have earned a coveted spot on the runway at the prestigious Panama Fashion Week for four years in a row. Vogue Mexico has praised McCabe’s “fresh, artisanal approach” that has transformed her into “a leading figure at Panama Fashion Week.”

Her work is known for inventive designs featuring high-quality fabrics, such as linen and organic cotton, printed from a rainbow palette of 22 shades. She describes her women’s clothing and tableware linens “as playfully designed, sustainable, loyal to natural fabrics and organic inks.”

Joyce began her meteoric rise in the fashion world shortly after Jim retired from his successful career in international banking. The couple moved to Santa Maria, Panama, in 2019 to be closer to Joyce’s family. They live not far from the two cousins and fellow Flyers who inspired her to attend the University of Dayton. She founded her design studio, ARTNTELA, at the age of 65, not long after returning to her native country.

It was the first time Joyce had lived in Panama since leaving home for UD, and the first time her career had taken center stage after decades of supporting Jim’s career and raising their three children. The couple traveled the world with Jim’s banking career, living in more than 15 countries in Asia and South America.

Joyce had loved textiles ever since childhood, a passion that only deepened through her global adventures.

“I became aware of the beauty of natural fibers from working closely with my grandmother and shared her love for this world since I can remember,” she explained. Even in the midst of raising three children, Joyce immersed herself in many forms of the arts, developing a passion for textiles and printing. Each of her new homes — whether in Thailand, Mexico, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka — taught her something new about her craft.

“We were living in places knee-deep and rich in artistic culture and raw, handmade items, plenty to whet her appetite,” Jim said.

In the 1990s, Joyce established a small business producing table linens.

“So many aspects were involved such as color, folklore, fabrics and handicrafts,” she recalled. “This rich combination created a surreal trip of endless possibilities to explore.”

Their children were school-age by the time they lived in Mexico, freeing Joyce to learn new skills like silk-screening and imprinting designs onto fabric. She was further inspired when the director of the Textile Museum in Mexico praised her work and encouraged her to pursue a career in textiles and fashion.

Her husband wholeheartedly supported that ambition.

“I am proud beyond words,” Jim said. “Throughout our marriage, Joyce has been an outstanding mother and an incredible spark in our kids’ lives. She really picked up the slack and made a fabulous home for all of us. But she also has that fire to explore her other interests. No matter what I was doing, first and foremost, I wanted Joyce to be able to express and involve herself in her craft as much as possible.”

"When you grow up with kids from all over the world, it teaches you so many important lessons that everyone could use these days to calm down the craziness and the polarization.”

The children gained great benefit from their international upbringing, Jim said: “They got a view of the world in the most remarkable way possible, and they learned to grow up with no real prejudices and a great deal of empathy. When you grow up with kids from all over the world, it teaches you so many important lessons that everyone could use these days to calm down the craziness and the polarization.”

The McCabes’ eldest son, Jaime, an executive in the consulting industry, lives with his wife and two sons in Chicago; daughter Tatiana is a London- based filmmaker; and their youngest son, David, a surgeon, lives with his wife and son in Charleston, South Carolina.

Shortly after moving back to Panama, Joyce found a champion in Mary Claire Fontaine, the CEO of the Panama Fashion Week.

“She approached me once we relocated to Panama after living 50 years abroad and was extremely supportive of me sharing my designs and dresses by participating in this annual event,” Joyce recalled. “Her support was invaluable toward getting me started in Panama.”

As this year’s Panama Fashion Week approaches, Joyce can often be found sitting at her computer late at night, toiling over her latest design.

“She puts so much blood, sweat and tears into everything she does, and it shows,” Jim said. “She has learned how to take a lifelong passion and convert it into practical skills and, against tremendous odds, to shine with pure unmitigated talent.”

Joyce’s years at UD instilled a strong work ethic and the desire to continue growing and learning — a lesson that has never left her.

“At 70 years of age, I feel that retirement is a stage in life where we have the freedom to experiment with ideas and activities we did not have the opportunity to engage with before,” she said. “Putting our creative mind in action in the midst of a more peaceful time in our lives is full of wonderful surprises.” 

A version of this article appears in print in the Fall 2025 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 50-1. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE