COLOMBIAN DESIGNER JUAN DE LA CRUZ
Colombian Designer Juan de la Cruz
Juan de la Cruz is a Colombian Fashion designer, his family knew about his talent for fashion, but he wanted to be a singer. His family supports him to study Fashion Design in the Fashion capital of Colombia Medellin.
What’s it like being in the Fashion industry?
In Colombia, is interesting because there are a lot of things to explore, create and mix, but another facet of the fashion industry in Colombia is sometimes reserved for the designer with a big economical background.
I believe the fashion designers, are for love and passion for the industry.
What do you like about your work?
Create new structures and experiment with the textiles, go to fashion fairs, and create a fashion collection for each season, and express all that I fell.
Normally I like to design in Corel, make new proposals, and combine colors. Every year, I can renovate and each season brings new challenges.
What is your inspiration at the moment to create a new dress?
The streets are the first element of my inspiration, watching people pass with different styles, inspired me and make my sketch.
How is the fashion in Latin America
The fashion in Latin America really depends on European culture. Having an identity like the Paulista and Carioca (Brazil) was a great example to appreciate our routes and our essence.
Tell us about your last collection
My last collection Anglomaniatic was a process to show my clients the different faces I wanted to show. When I start to sketch is fundamental for me to hear the music. This collection has a soundtrack behind it created by a sound producer. I also counted with the participation of a multidisciplinary group to make a fashion film, to participate in the Fashion Film Festival of Medellin. Therefore I could express the new way of selling fashion in our city Bucaramanga.
What was your inspiration?
Confined in a concept of rudeness, passion and eccentric style. This proposal exalts a degree of irreverence and Vanguardism, inspired by the crusades of the 11th century. The eclecticism mixed by diverse medieval influences and Anglo-Saxons. Traditions mixed by domains of different cultures such as the Middle East, where some silhouettes are elongated and oversized like tunics and cross pants. The design is based on risk and androgynous style; in which we find multifunctional parts for male, with a defined character that shows that the Prejudices do not exist in a society. In this season I continue applying some structures and silhouettes from past collections to coordinate my new proposal.
What is your favorite material to work with?
I am working with viscous cotton. I was able to transform it, reinvent it with new textile finishes that are more functional. These materials adapt to our current climate change that has made us consume and think differently.
Tell us about your next goal as a designer?
Well, at this moment I am working, exploring and having experiences about my environment. I am working on the development of a new textile application to improve our performances in our daily lives.
As a Colombian designer, I have participated in several regional competitions. I have been nominated as Innovative in the category creative idea at the INNOVADORES DE SANTANDER awards prizes, made by the Industrial University of Santander and the Chamber of Commerce of Bucaramanga.
I am the winner of a prize in the call ALLIANCES FOR INNOVATION in which 16 participants were selected at the local level awarded By the chamber of commerce of Bucaramanga, confecamaras, and colciencias (entities of the state)
The project called MULTIFUNCTIONAL SMARTS SHIRTS, and I am currently in the process of applying the process to be able to patent the idea of innovation.
To know more about this amazing Colombian Designer please visit: Juan Cruz Design
