The week of October 2 to 10 was the San Juan Moda event in the San Juan Hotel. Wuth my knowledge in fashion, I’m going to write a quick introduction into the likes of this magnificent event, and also bring a little interview that I made to one of this year’s sensational designers, Kelvin Giovannie. San Juan Moda has been celebrated over the years to bring the looks of the seasons by the local designers. This celebration brings the edgy and avant-garde looks of the upcoming fashion season and is hosted in the island through the months of September-November. This season of fashion bring us new tendencies, chic looks and refined designs for you to stay “a la mode” throughout the year.
Kelvin Giovannie presented his spring/summer collection with a breakthrough clothing design that had a bold and edgy statement over the runway. In his collection, he brings looks that go outside the box from his usual, more dark looks and gives us a little spark of color that complements his sense of style for this season. His collection was presented the past October 6, 2015. My photographer Randy Ayala Ríos was the person that kept me informed of the collection and I took the liberty to make this fashionista a quick interview just to get a little bit more into the aspects of his professional life:
• Who is Kelvin Giovannie?Kelvin Giovannie: “Professionally, Kelvin Giovannie is a dreamer of life, audacious, risky, and avant-garde fashion designer that moves forward into the current tendency in fashion”.
• What’s your job?Kelvin Giovannie: “I’m a fashion designer that manages his own business and currently, a student getting a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Design”.
• Since when did you show interest in clothing confection?Kelvin Giovannie: “By the age of 13, I worked with what I call a town’s tailor, cutting clothing patterns for him (it was my first job) and since then I took interest in fashion designing”,
• How did you prepare yourself professionally?Kelvin Giovannie: “I have a Bachelor’s degree of the Sacred Heart University. I also took courses of high couture with Lisa Thon and clothes confectioning with Carlotta Alfaro, and I’m currently working on another Bachelor’s degree”.
• How do you achieve triumph in your job?Kelvin Giovannie: “I make the dedication, determination, sacrifice and audacity to triumph work in every single job I do”.
• Which person has helped Kelvin Giovannie achieve success?Kelvin Giovannie: “There have been a lot of mentors, some of which I’d like to mention would be Ego Magazine and Imagen Magazine; Carlotta Alfaro and Lisa Thon, they have been like family to me and also, my own family has helped me through this experience”.
• Which moment of your life has been the most gratifying?Kelvin Giovannie: “For me, winning the Reality TV Show in Puerto Rico: Revelación Moda. It was a magnificent experience and it has induced positive changes in my life that have helped me grow professionally in the industry”.
• What motivates you?Kelvin Giovannie: “Being my family’s pride due to me succeeding in my personal life and professionally in the industry, also my own ambition in the work I make for people to enjoy”.
• Does Kelvin Giovannie have a ritual or habit before sewing?Kelvin Giovannie: “I always eat a small snack and drink cofee [laughs]”.
• What inspired Kelvin Giovannie for this collection?Kelvin Giovannie: “The theme for this collection is Spring/Summer looks and I take inspiration from the Cubism artistic movement by which I employed cuts and symmetry; and took a new risk in colors and textures. This movement had been pioneered by Picasso in France”.
• In the collection run-through, I saw a lot of grays, blacks, orange and hints of blues. In and overall, what is your preferred confectioning material?Kelvin Giovannie: “I commonly use organic-derived material like cotton and silk, and more modern patterns. I use a spectrum of softer colors. In the collection I made for the San Juan Moda run-through, I went outside my comfort zone and made a risk in adding more edgy colors like orange and blue”.
• What inspires you the most when you sew? Kelvin Giovannie: “Seeing a complete look and a work of art that is wearable and purchasable”.
*Picture courtesy: Randy Ayala Ríos