FashionClick Designer Interview

for being a Latin American trying to offer his work here. But I have understood that, when I arrived, I was still carrying the "load" - to put it that way - of a style or type of fashion that worked very well at the local level in my country, but was difficult to sell to an American or a French woman. Little by little, I have absorbed fashion's global sense and my creative approach now is based on a wider point of view. At the beginning, North Americans saw an Angel Sánchez that was stepping in, but were aware that this move could end up in failure. There are established Latin American designers here such as Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera who have been successful in this country, and I want to do the same. 

It is an adventure, a crusade, which has to be carried out with modesty at first and later with a lot of strength. It means starting from scratch when maybe you are a star in your home country, albeit unknown to the rest of the world. You have to leave behind the idea that you know it all. You have to absorb all that is happening, stay open to it all, and incorporate it into your creative work. On the other hand, you have to have the discipline. There is a lot of competition in this business and it could destroy your power quite fast if you don't have clear ideas. Things in the United States are not achieved at once. You have to persevere. 

I took on the risk of opening my own showroom and representation in the United States because it was the only way in which I could offer my product in the manner I thought was adequate. I now have my own team, which is not really composed of Venezuelans, but of people who are part of the fashion business here, who know it well, and that helps.

Carolina Herrera is our main representative of glamour. With her career, not only has she opened the door of fashion to Venezuelans, but to the whole of Latin America. That is her merit, and she has earned it due to her talent and professionalism. Each time I need to speak with her, she is there for me, she backs me up and has given me great advice. She has noticed my firm determination and respects me. I will always be grateful to her for that.

I see the Spanish woman clearly in my collections. She loves to dazzle, to look impressive; she is sophisticated and has a great deal of sensuality. But all will come in due time as we continue to grow. It is not a matter of touching that market without having all the elements in place. I am moving closer to the European public a step at a time.