Today we’d like to introduce you to Luciana Rodriguez
Hi Luciana, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Luciana Rodriguez. I was born in Lima, Peru. I have many happy memories from my childhood, and among them, I always remember that I had a lot of admiration for fashion since I was a little girl.
I liked to play with dolls, and I used to create dresses for them with scraps of fabric. Something that I always admired and continue to admire was my mother’s passion for hand knitting. She always made the most colorful and beautiful sweaters, designed just for me. I remember that since I was little, I liked to promote and model all the designs she made for me to all my friends.
After high school, I decided to go to law school, leaving behind my tastes in fashion, but something in me always told me I wanted a career in fashion. In 2011, after two years at law school, my parents decided that we should all move to live in the city of Houston, TX for a better future for the family.
When I arrived in the city of Houston, TX, I thought I would continue with my law career, but unfortunately, without knowing English completely, I could not study until I finished all the levels of English, but that was not a barrier to achieving my goals.
Little by little, I began to look for opportunities because I always considered myself brave, and I would not stop until I achieved my goals. I began to investigate more about opportunities to study to get ahead and progress in life.
I met people who guided me, and thanks to their suggestions, I was able to get my first job, which was at a women’s clothing store called White House and Black Market. I worked for 5 years in that company, and it helped me grow a lot as a person. I also learned to lose my fear of helping people, especially women.
Over time, I understood that the area of sales and fashion would always be in my path, so one day, I decided to look for more information about a career in fashion design. I was surprised to find that there were classes available in my city.
When I started my fashion design courses, I realized that I always belonged to the fashion world and that I had to fight until the end to graduate. I graduated from this beautiful career, and I am very proud of achieving my goals.
After leaving fashion design school, I decided to create my own brand. I wanted it to be something very authentic, and I also wanted to show everything I learned in my school years. I created Guzel by Luciana, which means beautiful in Turkish.
I started designing evening dresses, but I felt that I needed to do something more unique that would identify me more. I decided to ask my mother to teach me how to hand knit, and I realized that that was always the answer: handmade knitting.
My first creations were scarves and beanies, but then I dared to design sweaters and capes, which are very popular with my brand.
I started presenting my designs at events, and it went very well, which motivated me to create an account to be able to sell online.
My passion for sales also grew, so I started working with luxury companies like Moncler and Louis Vuitton, and I am currently a jewelry specialist for the company Tiffany & Co. I consider myself a successful woman in everything I do, but I always want to get my own business off the ground, and I know that one day not too far away I will achieve that goal of selling many designs from my brand Guzel, handmade and always inspired by my Peruvian culture, using beautiful alpaca wool and unique designs in my collections.
My Peruvian culture is full of many colors and fine details that I want to express in my designs. My goal is to export my fabrics to other cities, and I would also like to export them to other countries. But I know that with a lot of effort, exposure, and focus, it can be achieved.
I am very grateful for the support of my family and all the people who trust my talent. I will always be very grateful to this beautiful country as well.
I can’t wait to achieve everything I promised myself.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
couldn’t say obstacles; I would call them challenges. Of course, I had to leave my home country, learn a new language, and start over to identify my mission.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
decided to create my brand. I wanted it to be something very authentic, and I also wanted to show everything I learned in my school years. I created Guzel by Luciana, which means beautiful in Turkish.
I started designing evening dresses, but I felt that I needed to do something more unique that would identify me more. I decided to ask my mother to teach me how to hand knit, and I realized that that was always the answer: handmade knitting.
My first creations were scarves and beanies, but then I dared to design sweaters and capes, which are very popular with my brand.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I admire the work of the designer Carolina Herrera. She is an inspiration as a woman and as a designer because she shows that for fashion, you must always have class and taste to wear and create an outfit.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: bit.ly/3fR2vW3
