Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexsandra Urdaneta.
Alexsandra, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m 38 years old. I was born and raised in Venezuela. I graduated in 2008 as an architect. Ever since I can recall, I had always been passionate about art, fashion and handmade work.
Venezuela was not the ideal environment for me to develop as an artist.
Families were very old fashion and art was not seen as a viable way of making a living or become successful. The rules of the world, at this time, were simple: to become a lawyer, a doctor or an engineer, those were all the options.
Growing up in a country where your ability to create is limited was not easy. Fitting into a society that is based only on rules that everyone follows as is was very difficult for me. Sometimes, you think you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
My first project was recycling my parent’s clothes and fabric leftovers from a designer, who used to throw away everything she didn’t use. The idea of repurposing and recycling was a success. I participated in several markets and did a lot of interviews. At that time in Venezuela, they called us emerging artists. Because it was a market that was just beginning to grow, there was barely any competition.
Unfortunately, due to Venezuela’s economic situation, I had to leave the country and start all over. It was a very difficult task to start over in a new country. You have to adapt yourself to a different culture, laws, rules and endless new things.
Today, my brand has grown, and it’s established in Houston as a small pop-up store. My goal is to provide my clients with a fun experience, where they can feel free to wear whatever they like and whatsoever makes them feel unique. My store core is to find everything and more in one place.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For me, it has been a long way to be where I’m right now.
A new country, culture, rules, language, new things. I believe that most people that start their own business travel a struggling journey. I think the essential part of any real pursuit of success is hard work. Nothing comes easy, but every painful story has the potential to have a happy ending. You may as well accept challenges as a traveling companion, rather than resist it and create more struggle. It’s important to see each new day as an opportunity to keep on growing. Uncertainty, the ups, and downs are inevitable. A little stress can push you in a positive direction all you have to do is the dirty work.
Please tell us about Santa Diabla.
My small business is all about my customers, I want them to be and feel awesome with who they really are, no matter their color, ethnic group, language, sex or religion. I want them to be able to express themselves with my curated collection, like my handmade printed t-shirts, funny bags, retro-inspired sunnies or my custom jewelry.
My brand name turned out to have the best feedback. Clients and other vendors always tell me how funny and original the name is. The best part is when people actually know me as “Santa” or “Santa Diabla” rather than by my real name.
I think my personality defines really well who I am as a brand and sets me apart from the rest. When I see my business, I see myself in every design, product and my social media post I create.
I’m proud of myself, being from a foreign country and speaking another language can foster big doubts in your head and can be intimidating, for me it was no easy I had to work really hard to be who I am right now. But the reward is priceless, when I receive compliments from my customers for my designs I allow think to myself “Ale you made it, now you have to keep working and harder.”
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
My mistakes are a big part of my learning process, my experiences have helped me grow as a person and as a businesswoman.
If I could change one thing, I would probably not allow being so harsh on myself. I have learned that everything is achieved with hard work and dedication. That thing does not happen overnight, you just have to be patient and never stop doing what makes you happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.santa-diabla.com
- Email: santadiablainfo@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santadiabla_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/santadiablatx/
Image Credit:
Ivana Vrancic https://www.behance.net/ivanavrancic, Sol Pitarque https://www.instagram.com/miss_sol_creations/, Alexsandra Urdaneta https://www.instagram.com/aleurdanetaciferri/
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
