Page 48 - Demo

48 || FASHION MAGAZINE || NOV - DEC 2017aspects in the design. I believe women should be comfortable in what they wear, but they should look sexy but in a tasteful way. When life gives you curves, flaunt them!Do you remember the first piece you made?Of course! I have an incredible memory so I remember every single piece. I even remember what pieces customers buy! Gomez-Gracia is my baby, it%u2019s an extension of me. My first piece was actually a hand embroidered clutch, I started with accessories.Where did you attend school and was fashion your primary field of study? Do you recall a specific teacher or instructor who inspired you?University of Florida. My degree is in Marketing with a minor in Economics. I%u2019m autodidactic. I learned everything from internships, working in the industry, and working hard to improve my weaknesses. I moved to London to train and learn the technical side of the industry.From Miami to London%u2019s west end, talk to us about the decision to move and why Europe?I wanted to work for Alexander Mcqueen, who was, and is, London based. I had European nationality due to my Spanish passport, so I took a chance. Whilst Miami really has come a long way in terms of its local fashion industry, it didn%u2019t have much 13 years ago. Fashion also takes into accounts all seasons, and Miami could not offer that due to the year round heat. London represented that middle ground of speaking English, whilst being in Europe. It felt like the right fit.Alexander McQueen a true fashion icon and Julien MacDonald, tell us about your time training with these significant designers. Are there other designers in the industry whose work you admire?My time at McQueen was incredible. It%u2019s a tough environment, as there was a lot of pressure, but it was also a beautiful experience. It challenges you to reach a very high level of technical and creative skills. I don%u2019t really tend to keep up to date with what other designers are doing as I really want to keep the brand original and stick to what works for us, regardless of what the current trend is. My admiration stems from an appreciation of innovative techniques.