International Fashionista Lands in Panama |
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| Written by Pascale Schwander |
| Monday, 29 December 2008 08:01 |
 (Panama City, PANAMA) Columbian-born and internationally-renowned fashion designer Claudia Szerer comes to Panama. As interviewed by The Panama Report contributing writer Pascale Schwander, Claudia Szerer explains how a career in computer science segued into regular trips to Italy and France and an arrival on the world stage of fashion. Panama is increasingly beginning to attract such impressive names.
Where are you from? I was born in Bogota, Colombia When did you take your first step in the fashion industry? I have been interested in fashion since college but my first real step into the fashion industry was working for Christian Lacroix in Paris at the Couture House of Jean Patou. It was an amazing experience. I was 21 years old and I had a chance to work next to a very talented designer at one of the traditional French Couture houses. I was sewing by hand at the atelier and working at the press office or at the fashion show. This was an experience that truly influenced me and my work. What is your background? Have you been to Fashion School or did you study something else and fashion was you calling? I started college studying computer science because I had always been very good in math and I used to love computers. After a year I realized that it really wasn't the career path for me and I changed my major to Art History and later added Costume design for the theater. Art history was a truly wonderful major, I enjoyed every minute of it. The professors were wonderful. Costume design was incredibly interesting and both majors set the background and inspiration for many of my designs.  How long have you been running your own business? Wow. 19 years. I took off 5 years in between to have my children. Is your business based mainly in Panama or do you also have an office in Miami? I have an office in Miami, and I also show in NYC and am currently selling in Paris. How would you describe your clients? Chic. Do you design only for women? Yes. What is the most exiting thing about your job? Everything. I truly love it. It's hard to choose one thing about the creative process, about executing a collection or promoting it. It's all very enjoyable to me. Do you travel a lot for business? Yes. I travel mainly to Paris, different cities in Italy and NYC for sourcing as well as for shows. Tell me about the fabrics you choose? Where are they from? How do you choose them? They are mostly French and Italian. I travel to different places to choose them or to have them especially made. For my Spring/Summer 2006 collection it took one year to develop the Gustav Klimt inspired fabrics so that I could make my gowns. I am always looking for new things and developing new ideas with my suppliers. The fabrics that I use are of the highest quality available in the market. I like to work with natural fibers such as silk. {adsense} What are you inspirations? They really vary from collection to collection. Sometimes it can be art such as the time I was inspired by the work of Gustav Klimt for my Spring 2006 hand painted collection. At other times it can be what I see happening around me, what women need or what changes they need to make. Will you do the same job if you have a second life? Yes, definitely. Any regrets in the fashion business? No. What do you enjoy the most in your work? Create and then seeing it comes to life. What has been your worst moment, if any, in fashion? When I arrived in Paris in January 2008 and saw the recently published photos of the couture shows were John Galliano of Christian Dior had done Gustav Klimt inspired gowns for his 2008 collection when I had done this two years earlier in 2006. Do you see yourself doing something else? Professionally I enjoy fashion very much. When you think of fashion what is the first word that pops up in your mind? Fun. How do you see the fashion industry in Panama? The fashion industry in Panama is growing. There are more international labels opening stores, more local labels being sold, more tailors opening up and the fashion week is growing every year in the number of designers and brands showing as well as the press coverage.
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