Raul Peñaranda: He’s Showing the World Who He Is

Raul Peñaranda-Chispa MagazineDeclared by Forbes as “one of the fastest growing fashion entrepreneurs,” Raul Peñaranda is making his mark in the premier fashion arena season after season. Peñaranda’s collection is replete with lavish fabrics and simple cuts, which are the hallmark of the Peñaranda brand. His designs range from edgy to elegant, espouse a refined sophistication, and exemplify exceptional craftsmanship.

His intention is not to reinvent the wheel in fashion, but to add some innovative spokes, he says, “I want to use my talent, vision, and experience gathered in New York City; I believe, regardless of the current economic downturn, the market is ready for a new designer who has fresh ideas, distinctive style, and is backed by a well-structured company.”

Peñaranda admits he doesn’t know the formula for success, but surely knows the formula for failure: trying to please everyone. “I intend to stay true to my beliefs and vision as a designer, distinguish our collections from the rest of the wheels in the race and give our customers what they want: Exclusivity and refinement.”

Born in Cali, Colombia, he grew up in Caracas, Venezuela and moved to Miami with his family as a young adult. In 2000, he relocated to New York City where he was offered a freelance design position at Liz Claiborne, while enrolled at F.I.T and Parson’s. From that point he quickly made leaps throughout the industry. His portfolio includes work from some of the industry’s top fashion houses such as Oscar de la Renta, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, and Zac Posen, along with industry giants, Liz Claiborne and Kellwood. He held key positions as Creative Director of Merchandise and Trend Services, Senior Designer and, Textile/CAD Designer, but in 2010, Peñaranda decided to make one of his long time dreams a reality and opened Raul Peñaranda LLC to house his self-titled collection.

What is the difference between Raul Peñaranda the label versus the man? I don’t think there is difference between my label and me. It’s the same force with the same values expressing all my emotions trough the unveiling of each collection. My work is a reflection of who I am as an individual. It’s a specific moment of my life that I like to capture in every collection. These are living memories, good and bad, that represent empowerment, evolution, and self-discovering. And for this reason our mission statement is: Show the World Who You Are.

When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you tell yourself? How blessed, grateful, and lucky I am for being able to do what I love. I tell to myself to stay humble and to never give up on anything I set my mind to it. I tell myself with discipline and hard work any task can be achieved. I also tell myself to have fun and make sure that I enjoy 100 percent of the ups, as well as the downs…because everything has a hidden lesson and I’m ready to learn it.

Other days, instead of telling myself anything, I just think of my mother’s mantra: DREAM-VISION-REALITY. With this, I’m all set to go!

When it’s time to design, as well as choose fabrics, what goes on within your mind and what environment do you choose as your backdrop? The beginning of each collection starts with one word that best describes how I feel in that specific moment. The chosen word refers to an intangible moment frozen in time that is made into a reality; and my clothes are the vehicle for that. I choose fabrics, and when I do that, I start with a blank canvas allowing for the texture and colors of fabrics to inspire and ignite the design process. I align untangle emotions with fabrics and the result is magic.

Our studio is a place of vulnerability, fun and humility where everything flows and makes sense without being rushed or planned. We know who we are as a brand and knowing we want to empower every woman with beauty and sophistication makes everything come together the day of the fashion show. I also count on my two assistants Xiomara and Alex, who play a very important role in the success of each collection. It’s having fun, following our instinct, always staying true to our mission and values as a brand.

For more of the interview with Raul Peñaranda, order your copy of the April/May issue here

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Mavian Arocha-Rowe

Mavian Arocha-Rowe

Editor-in-Chief at Chispa Magazine
Mavian Arocha-Rowe is known as an asset to the business and communications industry and is motivating and advocating “your authenticity should be your strategy,” for all women, regardless of their season and roles. For the past 20 years she has directed magazines, plus multiple art and marketing departments as creative director and brand manager. What supersedes all of her great career moves is her role as wife and mother living in Atlanta. Challenging herself to discover and bravely pursue the calling for her life, Arocha-Rowe helps other women discover and pursue their life’s assignment. She is a passionate, and loud-laughing speaker on the topic of purposefully redeemed, and mentors young women so they can exercise a mind that is doctrinally pure, along with a heart that beats toward sanctification. She will almost never turn down Marlow’s Tavern double-tavern cheeseburger, a cooking-demonstration from Leaning Ladder, or any opportunity to head to Miami to spend time with family.
Mavian Arocha-Rowe

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Mavian Arocha-Rowe

Mavian Arocha-Rowe is known as an asset to the business and communications industry and is motivating and advocating “your authenticity should be your strategy,” for all women, regardless of their season and roles. For the past 20 years she has directed magazines, plus multiple art and marketing departments as creative director and brand manager. What supersedes all of her great career moves is her role as wife and mother living in Atlanta. Challenging herself to discover and bravely pursue the calling for her life, Arocha-Rowe helps other women discover and pursue their life’s assignment. She is a passionate, and loud-laughing speaker on the topic of purposefully redeemed, and mentors young women so they can exercise a mind that is doctrinally pure, along with a heart that beats toward sanctification. She will almost never turn down Marlow’s Tavern double-tavern cheeseburger, a cooking-demonstration from Leaning Ladder, or any opportunity to head to Miami to spend time with family.