Text by Koura-Rosy Kane
“Resignify Chilean materials to pass in the future” is one of the core values of Guido Vera – designer of his eponymous label. By thinking about the future, Guido is designing pieces to improve the present state of the fashion industry. From a sustainable and cruelty-free approach, the young designer aims for a fashion with positive impact on the environment. Based in Santiago De Chile, the label is taking inspiration from the idea of nomadism to explore out of the comfort zone. Beyond very responsible practices to fashion, Guido Vera is a brand thinking about the meaning of nomads in a modern era.
Spending his childhood in Punta Arenas, Guido moved to Santiago De Chile in 2010 to pursue his studies at the University of Arts, Sciences and Communications (UNIACC). At the time, he wanted to highlight the opportunities and possibilities for the fashion industry in this area. Following his time at the UNIACC, he spent a summer in 2012 in London and enrolled in a short course at the Central Saint Martins. Thanks to this experience, he came back to his native Chile with the vivid desire to explore the local fashion industry through a blog showcasing his personal streetstyle. Through this project, he was able to establish a new perspective on the dress of Chilean men. Later in 2018, he created his label and was able to achieve multiple projects. More recently, he presented his collection at the Vancouver Fashion Week.
Flanelle Magazine spoke with Guido Vera about his label and the meanings of building designs for a better future in the fashion industry.
You are the designer of your eponymous label. Could you drive us through the creative direction for your brand and the vision behind it?
I’m working on a personal vision about how I think that fashion has to be worked for present and -future- through sustainable and cruelty free culture about biomaterials, recycling fabrics and locally made -one by one- in Santiago de Chile. The creative direction is gender free, with an infinity moodboard with landscapes, culture, flora, fauna and color palette from Patagonia. The place where I grew up til my 17 years old, then I moved on to Santiago de Chile to start my career.
The label is based in Santiago De Chile and is truly inspired by the landscapes and towns from Patagonia. What would you say are the elements from your environment that impact your work the most?
The textures, feelings, moments, carretera austral family trips during 17 years to see my grandparents in Bariloche, the highlights at la pampa, flora and fauna at the road, made me empathize with sustainable vision about a lifestyle who cares about our environment. Now that I’m almost 30 years old, I’m grateful about my childhood because it was a real privilege to be born and raised in the last city of the world. I saw too many things that today still inspire me that now I just want to collaborate and act in a positive way with our own resources that what we have in front of us in Chile. I love to empower them till elevate any process behind my brand
The label Guido is exploring new possibilities in terms of aesthetics. How do you start each piece you create? What is your creative process
My creative process it’s not about drawing. I design in a toile mood, cutting and editing the pieces that I designed since the beginning -2018- using my personal memories in creating any piece, because I’m focused on working my own silhouette for new generations who understand gender clothing. I have had this idea about my brand since I was really young but I´ve never felt empowered to start really young, so it’s a process which takes years, studying and working in local retail in Chile to get experience and have the courage to run my own brand proudly made in Chile.
How did you start your label Guido Vera?
After realizing that local retail was depressing me, it was helpful because it’s a formula that you can use in your favor if you are smart. I really want to work in the fashion and textile industry, but I quicked and started to work in my brand in 2016. Even if it was on my mind during my childhood, Then 2017 was for samples and shoots. And my baby will be born in March 2018 with my VOL. I: Manifiesto
What do you value the most in your own culture and traditions?
Naming them in any piece that we launched, I felt inspired for what surrounds me so the way that I curate the fabrics behind any piece has to be connected with different events that represent my beloved Punta Arenas, Patagonia, Tierra del fuego, original towns that were exterminated by europeans, make me honored and get into my pieces to get in touch with people and clients who dismiss our story.
You recently was part of the Vancouver Fashion Week. How did you experience being part of such an event?
Was a really exciting experience for me to show my work on a runway that has more than 10 years in the market. It was my first time there, and that moment I was with a Chilean friend who resides in YVR and he was the only person that I knew at that moment after all… I think VFW or any fashion week makes you feel that your creativity could be profitable for your team, your country -because it us on the map- and why not, yourself for all work that you do for so long it´s inenarable.
Your label is committed to a sustainable and cruelty-free approach to design and fashion. Why is it important for you to establish these kinds of values?
In 2018 I will start my vegetarian lifestyle, so I decide at that moment that GV as a brand will have the same horizons, working locally made to sustain our talents, know-how, deadstock fabrics, biomaterials, chileans and southamerican factories to create a relation to the whole continent as “Pangea” means.
Your statement is “Simple designs for complex minds”. Could you explain further what you mean by that?
For sure, I think it’s for people who have a strong personality, connecting what they say and think into their lives, so they really keep it simple but stylish. My clients are moving on all the time, breaking the comfort zone to get new experiences into this world.
