December 27, 2024 • 43 mins
This week, Rachel Zoe is joined by the powerhouse designer behind some of your favorite brands. Fernando Garcia began his fashion career as an intern at Oscar de la Renta and now sits as the Co-Creative Director. He also built the brand, Monse, with his longtime creative partner, Laura Kim. Fernando is a force in the fashion world and has become a leading tastemaker!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hi everyone, I'm Rachel Zoe. When you're listening to Climbing
in Heels for your weekly dose of glamour, inspiration and fun.
I am so excited for this episode today because the
brilliantly talented designer who is co creative director at the
Helm of Oscar de Lorenta and Monsee is on the podcast.
Fernando Garcia entered the fashion world after studying architecture and
(00:30):
within six years went from intern to senior designer at
Oscar Delarenta. His success with creating Monse with co founder
Laura Kim seems to be just the tip of the
iceberg of what is to come for this fashion genius.
I am such a fan of Fernando and his work,
and I'm so excited to share his story so far
(00:51):
with all of you. So let's jump in with my
very dear friend, my love, Fernando. So I probably should
set this up for a second and basically tell you
that you are the third ever male to grace the pod,
(01:14):
and I feel like climbian.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Hills against males, you know a lot. No, I'm just kidding.
I'm actually kidding, you know. I love men.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I like good men, great men, and I have been
surrounded by many in my life, and you know, I
started climbing in heels because in fact, apropos of that,
I have actually been surrounded by more great men than
great women in my life who have been supportive of
me throughout my career, and climbi in heels is really
(01:46):
just a way to celebrate and pay it forward to
so many of the incredible women that I have in
my life and men, and really talk about the insane
journeys to get to actually the And you are very young.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And you are at the top.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
I know you wouldn't say you're at the top, and
every day you say, oh my god, I can't breathe.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
You have no idea what could happen?
Speaker 3 (02:12):
You know, the core of me still I feel blessed.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
But I would say to that that.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
I think part of what makes you so successful is
not taking for granted what's actually happening to you in
real time. Yeah, but I want to talk first about
how you even got to be Fernando, because you were
interning for someone that you are now at the helm
(02:41):
of the brand of one of my favorite human beings,
Oscar de la Rena, the King.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
You're like raising up to that moment to be completely transparent.
That's why when when we met, I felt like we
missed out on ten years of friendship before because I
was right there with you in sentiment with all of
the moments that you and Ascar created together.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I really was I, which is so wild because you
never said anything, You never said anything like what I was.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I was a wide eyed intern. I was dell War's
product to the max. And in terms of soaking everything
in and accepting that this is the world of people
that are trade blazers and what they do is how
they function. Oscar and me met in two thousand and nine,
(03:37):
and because I came from the Dominican Republic.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
They also where he's from.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Yeah, the Rainiery family is the family that founded Puncha Khana.
Whoever knows Puncha Khana knows the Rainiery families legacy. They
are some like they're one of the most hard working
people I know in this entire planet, and they still are.
(04:01):
And in the nineties, my dad and them and Frank
the founder were very close and they grow up together
and they were like, you know, heartbreaking spirits. And so
when I went to Notre Dame to study architecture, I
said to my dad, because I was obsessed with everything
(04:23):
that elder old dads was doing and tom Ford an Oscar.
I was like, you know what, I follow this world
so much. I know that you want me to come
back home to do the hardware company that you founded,
but I want to give this one shot. And my
dad said, I'm only letting you connect to the Rainiery family,
meaning the Winter Comma founders the moment you have actual
(04:47):
time to give to them instead of just like, you know,
a summer here. So in a way, my dad was
like stalling it. See if I like, which is.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Like like stopped thinking, like just kidding, this is yah.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, And then I didn't. I didn't like take that,
and so I decided, okay, here's why diploma. I was
top four another name. I'm very proud about that.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
That's insane. By the way, I am very proud about that.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I was a straight a student to get.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
You know, so you're gorgeous and smart.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I mean, I'll say this, I'm much more hard working
than smart, but I definitely felt the need to, you know,
come to New York, New York City with something that
I loved in more than life and still do. And
then This was a great like meeting of the two
dreams that I had to be in New York City
and to live the dream of being and a team
(05:43):
of creative thinkers and the Auscarople are into team. And
when I met him, imagine me now you know me, yes,
imagine me at twenty years old. I'm thirty eight now
and showing up to OSCARS. Hou was in Punta Kana
with a stack of my engineering and architecture and construction
(06:07):
notebook textbooks, where I doodled in the back of all
of them and said, this is all I know, and
he just took one of them right from the tip, one, two,
and then he pushed all of them aside. I think
that now looking back, he basically summarized what I knew
(06:30):
from a few sketches, which I can I can do
today now with my experience from some of the sketches
that I see from new designers that company when I
work in our team, I understand the person the aspirations
from a few sketches. But at that time I didn't
know anything. I didn't know that he could figure that
(06:50):
out in the second and so when I let him
do that, he took two seconds to look at it,
and then he pushed everything aside, and I was like, oh,
I think I I think I don't have the job
because he just like push everything to the side.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
It's like and that's enough.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Yeah, And so what he proceeded to do because he
just had a gut instinct about me, he was like, Oh,
this girl Laura, Laura is somebody that I think you
should meet. She is very hard working, She's been with
me for a long time, she is very talented, and
she is running my studio right now. And I was
(07:26):
just like, in my head the first time I need
to ask her, I'm like, I think I want to
hear more about you, like watching He spent the entire
thirty minutes at her first meeting talking about Laura, and
so I was just like, oh, this is interesting. So
but he had something in his head about yeah, yeah,
of course in Laura.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
He was like putting you together as like a doo.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
So he did. And so when I went to meet
my father after the meeting, he was like, oh, Fernando,
I think he should come intern with me. And so
I went to New York City like the week after that,
and I met Laura and Laura and I fell in
love and worked together forever and ever.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I cannot believe that. So and what's wild.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
I was just telling Mary, my producer, that the very
last time I saw Oscar, you told me last year
that you were there. The very last time I saw him.
It was at his final show at the studio like
that you know that building I think on forty second
(08:35):
right between the that's mine, yes exactly.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Our company took over that place and out of fun,
we took the under construction moved into introducing our run
way shows in there. But then we kept the venue
after the office for fully finished, so our showroom will
like we sell our clothes.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Became our actual runway her mother, which was like very
interesting and fascinating because all of the teams had to
like take up their desks really and about with a
runway show right through there, and the next day the
buyers would come and it would be like a little
bit of a like weird vibe because like everybody's unsettled, like.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Right, of course, it's like the morning after the party.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Basically, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
It was like, yeah, but I remember that night more
than anything because the show I think was like at
five o'clock and I was at my studio doing fittings,
and I had like twenty models coming in for castings
because my show is the next morning. And I remember
looking at this girl on my team I'm still very
close with, and I looked at her and I said,
(09:46):
I have to go. She said, what do you mean
you have to go. You can't go. There's twenty girls coming,
you have all these finnings, we have tailors. I was like,
I have to go. Yeah, and she said why and
I said, I have a feeling. I said, First of all,
I can't miss Oscar show. I said, weirdly, just I
don't know, it's just were there the last time I
see him?
Speaker 2 (10:06):
I don't know, And it was.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I'll be completely front with you, we didn't know it
was going to be his last show.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
I felt it is that weird. I felt it. I
said it to her.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Funny that you say that. My parents obviously followed every
single show into as many as they could. And because
Laura and I were in like the deep like trenches, Yeah,
you don't really pay attention to any kind of.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Like human response.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Yeah, this person is at the very last time. Yeah,
it was a very big shock when he passed away.
For Laura and me, like, even though we knew he
was going through a lot of like chemo, we were
I will speak for myself. I was a complete wreck
(10:59):
for a month. And I will never forget being in
Italy and being like I flew to Italy with Laura
because that's what we do every time we have a collection.
We go there and see the tailoring that we're developing
for daywear. And I still remember being in and because
we work in Naples, we went to Capri and we're
(11:24):
at our hotel that we stay there just to like
have a weekend stay. And I remember the daya that
happened and I felt it in my gut that was
going to happen that day.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
It was intense.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
It was intense.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
I was in touch with everybody in the house, where
he was, where he pas. It was. It was emotional.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
He was like this surreal figure in my life that
was this kind gentleman and so talented. And I remember
him saying, how much you loved to sketch, and you
would show me his sketches and he would say, I
don't ever not want to do this. For the last
time I saw him, and I was so glad that
I that I did, and I remember he was leaning
against the window when I came backstage and saw him
(12:10):
after the show, and I wasn't going to because I
was in a hurry, and I said, let me just
go give him a kiss, let me just go talk
to him. And he was very weak and there was
a lot of people around him, and I left there going,
thank god, I just went. And I remember in my
praierher role because when you told me, I remember you
and Laura kind of like if he was like to
the left, like you guys were like back by that column,
(12:32):
you know, on the stage, but I didn't know you,
which was so weird.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
You remember that, Yeah, I remember where you were standing.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
And it's very strange because when I met you, I
remember the first time it was sort of like I
knew you for ten years. There was some part of
my life that you were in and I hadn't physically
met you. So then when we finally connected, it was like, Okay,
we're in love. Now we're best friends for life, and
let's just talk. Let's just I think.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
That he definitely understood the electricity that your personality in
mind lare have, so obviously he was a very good
curator of people that would get along with each other,
and it was seamless to me. As soon as I
met you, I'm like, oh, I feel like I've known
you for a day.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
It's so weird.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
So he knew what he was doing, well, he knew.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
What he was doing because look at you. Now.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
He had a gut feeling about the fire Sagittarius in
me that Martha was celebrating.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
As wait, did everyone hear that he just went to
a Sagittarius lunch with the Queen Martha Stewart?
Speaker 2 (13:45):
You didn't hear that? We need to embrace that.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I think that that's like a badge of honor that
I will never forget, I.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Said next to her at a dinner and almost did,
I said him years ago. Now, I like, I think
we say hi to each other. But I still will
reintroduce myself.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I mean, by the way. You know what's funny is
I always reintroduce myself to people that I don't believe
I'm friends with. And so my guess is in my
floor is the Michael course, And you know he's like
a sweetheart, but.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
The sweetest person in the world.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
I know, but like, I'm thirty eight and I'm still
in my mind an intern at Oscars company, right, I
really really am.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Can I say something, Fernando, I'm still twenty two crashing
a bakeup show. No, I honestly I.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Lower coffee every single day because I am in my
mind her intern still so and I still do. Okay,
So when I see Michael and the elevator. Every time
I see him in the elevator, I'm like, Hi, am Fernando,
and I know who you are, just.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Like with his sunglasses on and the tan, I know.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
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I can't, but Fernando, so tell me a little bit
about Like so, you started as an intern.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
You obviously belt your way up.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
You've worked your ass off the old fashioned way. You
have the fire and the passion, and I think that's
part of why I love you so much, just because
I don't think that's ever going to change.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I think you'll be sixty five doing this and you'll still.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Have that Oscar never wanted to retire and now understand
it now.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yep, he didn't, but you know, but but you have
done different things throughout the last you know, ten years
or more, whatever it is. But like, so, I want
to talk about that because I want to talk a
little bit about how tremendously scary this business can be.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
And you know it's not that scary.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Well it can be, though, I sure.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
For people that don't know where they want to go
in fashion, it absolutely should be scary, right right, And
you knew, and that's where you are where you are.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
But but I was driven a lot by fear of failure.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Sure, and I know that you have.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
That failure isn't a big motivator for sure. Also, you
know what the big motivator is? Competition Laura and me,
and yes, we fell in love in every way. And
Oscar Atnuit he was doing because he was not just
gaining a lovely relationship and his team, but gaining two
(18:26):
fears competitors that wanted to outdo each other every single season.
So every single season, Laura and I would like just
like want to like up like one another, and so
and and and Laura is really competitive, just like me
and so whenever.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
And she's a quiet competitive though.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Bitch, excuse me, I didn't say that, but she's not that.
She is a serious one that comes across as like
a sweet little angel, and as soon as you get
in the trenches with her, you realize that, oh so
she means business Like I don't have the best selling
(19:03):
dress this season, and I am in the best I
don't matter to her as much. So and it motivated
me because I am not a business mind. Person in
a couple of ways. So it taught me to be
one because of her right and so now her our team,
(19:24):
we're all like looking to and even in the team
now and noticing the pattern repeating itself like that. The
team is like, okay, so this is what you know
is the top dog strategy. You have to like have
the bestseller dress, also the big red carpet moment, like
they have a combination of things, and so all of
(19:48):
that mattered, and it made us better. It made us
chisel our you know, knife and become stronger letners.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
You know, it's kind of funny because I think you
guys have this very kind competitive relationship, which is very rare.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Though that's very rare.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
We're on the same team, but we are definitely always competing.
All of us in fashion are always competing. But you
just have to have your heart like be very like
clear and transparent. Everybody's motives are going to be like
very like noticeable. As soon as you enter a team,
you notice what the people's priorities are in the team.
(20:31):
And so once you align everybody's like priorities, you really excel.
And I will give Laura credit. Laura aligned the team
after two or three years in a really impressive way,
having an understanding of everybody's priorities in the team, no
(20:53):
matter how old or young they are. Everybody has to
be aligned and focus on a goal. So I think
that she deserves a lot of credit for that. She
helped the team align.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Myself, Now, how do you decide?
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Because so much of what people know you for and
knew Oscar for is the red carpet, right, But the
other thing is that I think many people don't know
is just one of the things I love most about Oscar.
That I love most about you as well is your
love of women, your love of making women actually feel,
(21:32):
look and feel they're absolutely most glamorous, most beautiful. But
to your credit, you have taken the reins at Oscar
with Laura and made it incredibly modern and your own.
And that is not easy. It's not easy, and there's
a huge expectation. And you know, Oscar has had customers
(21:55):
that have been Oscar customers and clients.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
For what fifty years?
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:01):
More more?
Speaker 1 (22:03):
And so how is that in terms of like pressure,
Because the reality of it is, you have had more
hits on the biggest stars in the world over even
since I've known you really over the last few years.
It's like one after the other after the other, and
icons like Sarah Jessica, Taylor Swift, I mean, Selena Gomez NonStop,
(22:28):
Nicole Kimmen, I mean, it goes on. This is like
the drink, Fernando. It used to only be European designers
and every once in a while an American designer would
have that moment. You are having moment after moment after
moment after moment.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
That is not easy.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Thank you heard that? Huge bad I mean, I don't
take it lightly, especially coming from you who find the
reason I prowd became gay. I mean with the Tory
Boys necklace, forget it.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
I'm like a hawk pin deer still will always be
one of.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
My favorite iconic. So to answer your question, it's not
overnight right. First of all, I didn't join Oscar thinking
I was going to become creative director of Oscar. Oscar
thinking I'm the luckiest Dominican boy in the world and
I'm going to work my way up somehow and make
(23:23):
him happy, and to me and Laura going home for
six years as his assistant and making him smile from
one dress in that one month that.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
To us was you're winning. You're winning.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
That was as simple as that. So I want to
give everybody perspective to understand that that the pressure that
I feel today is a pressure that was built through
time to have me tolerate. So so the pressure to
make him smile was my first pressure, and after that,
other pressures, you know, surmount to themselves on top of me.
(24:04):
So everything that you all see me and my team
doing to me now after fifteen years is a lot
lighter than probably from somebody from the outside of things
that like, oh, this is like what they must be
like dying right now. Now, Like we really have worked
our way up to understanding the expectations and understanding what
(24:28):
the talent wants to perceive themselves as through the public lands.
So in a way, I have also become a little
bit of a therapist, because you know that very well.
So you understand that when I meet somebody they funny enough,
(24:49):
you know me, They are nervous, they think, oh, you're
going to be whatever whatever the impression is, and I'm
just like, I like break them down and I figure
out what is going to make them the most comfortable, vulnerable,
susceptible to my words or my personality so that they
(25:11):
can become their truest self in the moment that I
need them. Why because I need them to be that
way throughout the process that of my creating a Mechcali
moment for them.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Yeah, because they're a wedding dress, which one or a
wedding dress like on press or.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
I mean doing a Ma Bloney's wedding dress. Was as
ls your's assistant. Even though I was doing a lot
of the heavy lifting, Amala Floney did rely on Oscar
and me and Laura to come up with something that was,
you know, worthy of that big moment on stage right.
(25:49):
And I was I was twenty six when this was
all going on, and I was noticing how Oscar maneuvered
the situation and how he handled himself. And I learned
a lot from him during that period. And that's because
and from that point on, amm Flue and I kind
(26:11):
of like had this like it's not a battle scar,
but it's just like she.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
And I like have this like monthly trauma bonding.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
Yeah, we were bonded from that. Like, so when I
was developing mom say, I I was like, you know, scared.
I was like, I'm all like I don't know what
to do, like should we enjoy a show here? Should
we do this? And she's like, why are you know?
I'm like, oh, I'm in Italy right now. I'm developing
(26:39):
the first month a collection ever and this is in
twenty fifteen, and so she's like, oh, I'm in come on.
I'm like, oh, I'm in Milan. She's like, come over, Rachel,
and I'm all there, how much I love this memory.
It was incredible and she was like, show me all
of your sketches. I want to see the first one
(27:00):
the collection. I still remember that moment like yesterday because
I arrived at the house and I got to the
living room of her home in Como and I am
showing her all discussion on the floor. The dogs were
licking me. It was adorable. And then she's like, let's
go have lunch outside and I'm like, okay where I'm
(27:21):
like in my head, I'm like, it's real. And then
she takes me to the courtyard and I noticed that
there's high trenches because of aparazzi, so they can't really
like have like this glorious view, which broke my heart
a little bit. But then yeah, but then I was
just like, okay, so let's go have some food. And
(27:41):
she's like, oh, George arrived, and I'm like what and
he shows up. I'm not going to repeat what he said,
but it was really funny. And the buyguard was next
to me, and I was probably like considered like a
threat because that was like a brand new person mall's
life in their eyes. But George was really sweet, because
(28:04):
he's so sweet. He was just like asking me the
importance of you know, the re carpet moments that we
do with them all, and the understanding the world that
we're in and the influence that they have on the world,
and inquisitive and interested in fun.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
And it's good that in those moments you can recognize
it's a pinch me, surreal moment.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
It's good that you can do that.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I think I made the
mistake of never recognizing those moments until now when people
ask me about them, and I'm like, right that, yes,
it happened, because in my mind, the moments are more
those moments of like seeing Oscar for the last time,
or the first time he took me to a studio
and showed me his sketches, and you know, with Car Lagerfeld.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Those were my moments.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
So let's talk about Monse for a second, because what
in what life and what planet? While you're at Oscar,
jay La Rna, do you look at Laura and say, hey,
let's start another brand, Let's start our own because I
just I need to just like sort of paint the picture.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Because what you're doing in Oscar.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
And arguably one of the biggest, most recognized, highly regarded
houses in America for sure and throughout the world.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
But that in and of itself is how many collections
a year?
Speaker 3 (29:27):
It's four for Oscar for for Monse. Too bridal and
at this point the VIP list used to be me
doing red carpet moments, meaning six a year o the
ic list. Basically we're doing cature without right right, and
(29:47):
it's fabulous.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
It's like closet to cature.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
It's closet cature. It's Fernando's so got.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
So really like what triggers you at that point to
be like this isn't enough.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
I need to start our own line. We need to
start it now.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
It wasn't that, to be right, honest, we didn't know
what Oscar's health was going to end up, Like right
and Lauren and I were thinking about our future, and
Lauren and I also needed to understand who we were
as designers outside of Yes, it wasn't that we wanted
(30:23):
to like add on, it was that we need to
like scratch an itch yeah, and it also is really
like formative. We needed to learn who we were outside
of a big umbrella corp, so to speak, and understand
what the world was like when you have to fend
for yourself, and we did have to fend for ourselves
(30:46):
for two years. We figured out what their crass tax
reality was for the majority of designers that want to
start from scratch. And so I think that it made
us the designers that we are today. I don't think that.
I don't think that Oscar was wrong in thinking that
we needed a little bit more growth. But we got it.
(31:08):
But we got it and it was necessary.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
And also it's a very different language monse versus Oscar Dillierent.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
It's a totally different being.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
Because we had to figure out a new DNA after
you know, his passing. It was important to us and
we consulted a couple of people. We consulted Kit Young,
we consulted Sex Buying Team, very important minded people that
that saw ar trajectory as a system OSCAR and knew
(31:45):
what we wanted, and so we were trying to like
guide us as to like making a name for ourselves
in a very independent, isolated unassociated to oscaring.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
So it's so unbelievably impressive.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
And so now one thing I really want to talk
to you about is because it's something we see so
often in so many industries, from food to beauty and
certainly to fashion. And you and I have talked about this,
you know, two three in the morning on text. How
do you handle Copycatskay?
Speaker 3 (32:24):
The last time I remember that is once a copied
manse our beginning of our deconstructing of shirts. I don't
think that there's anything else to say but to be
flattered by it, because the price points are very different,
and it doesn't affect your business to a to a detrimental.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
So how do you continue to keep everything new and fresh?
And what's so interesting is I did not know that
you studied architecture, because that tracks, by the way, because
so much of your most recent collections I've seen so
much of that.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
I've seen so much architecture, and.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
I think that's what Laura and I do because you know,
our lives are extremely busy. Yes, is be surrounded by
the people that we want to dress. And you know, Nikki,
as you know, is my.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Best friend absolutely Nilton. Yeah, you guys are the cutest
best friends.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
By the way, Well, she takes caramels and we love.
But I do want to give credit to the to
the girls in my life like you, like Nikki, like Laura,
that keep my head on my shoulders. We made it
and it's beautiful and hilarious and fun.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
And you there is no one that can make me
literally laugh out loud in the morning.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Out of it.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Do I sleep?
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Then?
Speaker 1 (33:59):
You it literally like give me life when I need
it the most.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
You know.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
I just want to say that I love you madly.
I love everything you've done. I love how you've built
it humble brick by humble brick. I love that you
have your confidence now but you still feel twenty two.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
In some ways. I am.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
I also think you're dressing the best, and you know,
I think keeping that humility is a superpower.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
I really do.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
Well, I'll say this. When Laura and I left Oscar,
I noticed something that was a great and very valuable
calling card that I recommend anybody who is starting something
from scratch to vulnerability is something that I didn't understand.
What is not just attractive but welcoming to personal and
(35:00):
all like relationships or business opportunities. It is extremely attractive
because people feel like they're about to join something important
in someone's life. So as soon as I discovered that,
I was like, without any shame, knocking them a few
doors and being like, hey, we just left Oscar, we
(35:20):
want to figure this out. Help us. Saying the words
help us is something I cannot say enough and recommend
to people, because yeah, you definitely have to have a
draft record, right, you have to have like a little
bit of a reputation to like earn the Okay, I'll
help you. But but you will be surprised how many
(35:46):
people are so like hard on themselves about asking for help.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Of course, no, I mean I think that's actually the
hardest thing to do.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
That's crazy, you ask for like, don't want to ask
for help. There is absolutely like a ton of reasons
why they don't want to, but they tell.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Us I would agree with that very much.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
I think it makes them feel less than or that
they haven't achieved any success or when he.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
Was there and me and Laura were like, no, no
problem asking help us.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
I mean, and it worked.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
And I think you're doing it, and I think your
relationship is amazing, and I think I'm very excited to.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Just continue to see what you guys do. I mean,
I like love it.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
I'm like standing here with pom poms like cheering you
guys on in every dress and every collection, and you're
so adored.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
You are so adored.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
For me, it's the thing that always attracted me the
most to Oscar was how he spoke to women and
how he treated women and how he he listened to them.
And that's what you guys are doing. That's what you're doing.
Like I see you when you're working with someone, whether
it's Paris or Taylor Swift or Selena Gmez or any
of these people. Jessica Chastein like you are, like I
(37:13):
have to suit you on. I don't know if she
I don't know if that color she made that may
be too somewhere. I don't know if this is going
to be you know, it's.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Like that thing I seriously like think like you might
want me to. Like there's moments where I'm like, sac
actually tell me, Like hell, Elizabeth Stuart is going to
probably want me to do this, Like I seriously have
moments where I think about the people that got us.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
To Let's talk about stylists for one minute because or
two because I want to talk about it. I'm going
to take my stylist hat off, but I want to
talk about that because you work with so many stylists,
and I know you do, and you have an appreciation
for them rather than a there are any designers that
(38:01):
are resentful about stylists. There are some that love them,
and there's some that hate them.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
So I'm going to give you some perspective. I came
to Oscar before Silence for to be honest cool. The
first one that like broke my thinking of how important
they are to the business was Kate Young, right. I
saw the resilience of her clients throughout my career and
(38:32):
learned a lot about the psychology that goes into creating
something for somebody in a really like pressure filled moment.
From after that, Pristina Rlick and you know Andrew McConnell
and all these other amazingly talented people that in a
way are like therapists. They are they are psychologists. They
(38:55):
are there to understand the level of impact they need
to deliver, also the influence that they want to cast
upon the fans that that person has like and by
the way, that fluctuates. Every every client wants to go
up or down or medium, and they do mean medium sometimes,
(39:15):
So it's it's It was an incredible learning experience during
the most like like soaking moments of Fernando's twenties. So
I learned a lot about that psychology through the people
that you know, delivered the moments that everybody remembers from
a brand outside of like you know, selling a lot
(39:38):
of clothes to customers that are loyal to us and
deserve all of our attention. The loudest voices are the
santatriska partners or sex of the city. For the brands
like mine, I don't even have words like meeting her
when Oscar did her last at Galla moment and she
(39:59):
ORed herself on the floor of the office with a
binder that she herself came with of all the Charles
jam the references, because that's who we were celebrating at
that moment.
Speaker 5 (40:11):
It taught me that you know, no matter what how
complicated or how busy your life is in fashion, everybody
does get wrapped up into all of that.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
But when you see somebody that is as passionate as
Sara just got, throwing herself on the door with a
binder that she herself research and in her closet where
she has a bin of ribbons, like we go a
way back, and I herd that relationship like an idiot.
But she truly does matter for culture, She matters for fashion,
(40:47):
and she is somebody who has always upheld it in
a very respectful, intelligent, researched way. I don't think that
there's enough of Sergey. I guess in the world.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
There aren't. There are not.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
They are not. I mean I hope that there will be,
but there are not now. But I think I don't know.
It's just it's such a beautiful thing. And I love
that relationship, and I cannot wait to see you keep
doing what you do. I love you so much. I
love seeing your love for women. I love seeing your
love for creating for women and creating these magic moments.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Peer from the entire planet for the next two months.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
So well, I'm gonna hunt you down and I'm going
to blow up your phone.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
You love I am.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
I love you so much.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Thank you so much to Fernando for coming on the
pod today. He is truly brilliant. He is so beyond talented,
and he designs not only with his talent, of course,
and his skill, but with his heart and with a
huge admiration and respect for women, with humility, with humor.
(42:12):
He is so incredibly funny. He's the most fun person
to go out with, and I know he has truly
just begun. His statement that vulnerability is attractive is really
inspiring because I think it really is very true. And
I think asking for help is an important reminder and
lesson for everyone to take from this episode, including me,
(42:37):
because I think we have so much ego and so
much shame in asking for help, and so I loved
that moment amongst many. I loved this episode so much,
and I love you, Fernando. Thank you so much for
listening to Climbing and Heels. If you haven't already, please
subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeart app,
or wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss
(42:59):
a single episode this season. And be sure to follow
me on Instagram at at rachel Zo and the show
at cleming Inhales pod for the latest episodes and updates.
I will talk to you soon.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Lack
Hi everyone, I'm Rachel Zoe. When you're listening to Climbing
in Heels for your weekly dose of glamour, inspiration and fun.
I am so excited for this episode today because the
brilliantly talented designer who is co creative director at the
Helm of Oscar de Lorenta and Monsee is on the podcast.
Fernando Garcia entered the fashion world after studying architecture and
(00:30):
within six years went from intern to senior designer at
Oscar Delarenta. His success with creating Monse with co founder
Laura Kim seems to be just the tip of the
iceberg of what is to come for this fashion genius.
I am such a fan of Fernando and his work,
and I'm so excited to share his story so far
(00:51):
with all of you. So let's jump in with my
very dear friend, my love, Fernando. So I probably should
set this up for a second and basically tell you
that you are the third ever male to grace the pod,
(01:14):
and I feel like climbian.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Hills against males, you know a lot. No, I'm just kidding.
I'm actually kidding, you know. I love men.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I like good men, great men, and I have been
surrounded by many in my life, and you know, I
started climbing in heels because in fact, apropos of that,
I have actually been surrounded by more great men than
great women in my life who have been supportive of
me throughout my career, and climbi in heels is really
(01:46):
just a way to celebrate and pay it forward to
so many of the incredible women that I have in
my life and men, and really talk about the insane
journeys to get to actually the And you are very young.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And you are at the top.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
I know you wouldn't say you're at the top, and
every day you say, oh my god, I can't breathe.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
You have no idea what could happen?
Speaker 3 (02:12):
You know, the core of me still I feel blessed.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
But I would say to that that.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
I think part of what makes you so successful is
not taking for granted what's actually happening to you in
real time. Yeah, but I want to talk first about
how you even got to be Fernando, because you were
interning for someone that you are now at the helm
(02:41):
of the brand of one of my favorite human beings,
Oscar de la Rena, the King.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
You're like raising up to that moment to be completely transparent.
That's why when when we met, I felt like we
missed out on ten years of friendship before because I
was right there with you in sentiment with all of
the moments that you and Ascar created together.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I really was I, which is so wild because you
never said anything, You never said anything like what I was.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I was a wide eyed intern. I was dell War's
product to the max. And in terms of soaking everything
in and accepting that this is the world of people
that are trade blazers and what they do is how
they function. Oscar and me met in two thousand and nine,
(03:37):
and because I came from the Dominican Republic.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
They also where he's from.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Yeah, the Rainiery family is the family that founded Puncha Khana.
Whoever knows Puncha Khana knows the Rainiery families legacy. They
are some like they're one of the most hard working
people I know in this entire planet, and they still are.
(04:01):
And in the nineties, my dad and them and Frank
the founder were very close and they grow up together
and they were like, you know, heartbreaking spirits. And so
when I went to Notre Dame to study architecture, I
said to my dad, because I was obsessed with everything
(04:23):
that elder old dads was doing and tom Ford an Oscar.
I was like, you know what, I follow this world
so much. I know that you want me to come
back home to do the hardware company that you founded,
but I want to give this one shot. And my
dad said, I'm only letting you connect to the Rainiery family,
meaning the Winter Comma founders the moment you have actual
(04:47):
time to give to them instead of just like, you know,
a summer here. So in a way, my dad was
like stalling it. See if I like, which is.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Like like stopped thinking, like just kidding, this is yah.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, And then I didn't. I didn't like take that,
and so I decided, okay, here's why diploma. I was
top four another name. I'm very proud about that.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
That's insane. By the way, I am very proud about that.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I was a straight a student to get.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
You know, so you're gorgeous and smart.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I mean, I'll say this, I'm much more hard working
than smart, but I definitely felt the need to, you know,
come to New York, New York City with something that
I loved in more than life and still do. And
then This was a great like meeting of the two
dreams that I had to be in New York City
and to live the dream of being and a team
(05:43):
of creative thinkers and the Auscarople are into team. And
when I met him, imagine me now you know me, yes,
imagine me at twenty years old. I'm thirty eight now
and showing up to OSCARS. Hou was in Punta Kana
with a stack of my engineering and architecture and construction
(06:07):
notebook textbooks, where I doodled in the back of all
of them and said, this is all I know, and
he just took one of them right from the tip, one, two,
and then he pushed all of them aside. I think
that now looking back, he basically summarized what I knew
(06:30):
from a few sketches, which I can I can do
today now with my experience from some of the sketches
that I see from new designers that company when I
work in our team, I understand the person the aspirations
from a few sketches. But at that time I didn't
know anything. I didn't know that he could figure that
(06:50):
out in the second and so when I let him
do that, he took two seconds to look at it,
and then he pushed everything aside, and I was like, oh,
I think I I think I don't have the job
because he just like push everything to the side.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
It's like and that's enough.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Yeah, And so what he proceeded to do because he
just had a gut instinct about me, he was like, Oh,
this girl Laura, Laura is somebody that I think you
should meet. She is very hard working, She's been with
me for a long time, she is very talented, and
she is running my studio right now. And I was
(07:26):
just like, in my head the first time I need
to ask her, I'm like, I think I want to
hear more about you, like watching He spent the entire
thirty minutes at her first meeting talking about Laura, and
so I was just like, oh, this is interesting. So
but he had something in his head about yeah, yeah,
of course in Laura.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
He was like putting you together as like a doo.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
So he did. And so when I went to meet
my father after the meeting, he was like, oh, Fernando,
I think he should come intern with me. And so
I went to New York City like the week after that,
and I met Laura and Laura and I fell in
love and worked together forever and ever.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I cannot believe that. So and what's wild.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
I was just telling Mary, my producer, that the very
last time I saw Oscar, you told me last year
that you were there. The very last time I saw him.
It was at his final show at the studio like
that you know that building I think on forty second
(08:35):
right between the that's mine, yes exactly.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Our company took over that place and out of fun,
we took the under construction moved into introducing our run
way shows in there. But then we kept the venue
after the office for fully finished, so our showroom will
like we sell our clothes.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Became our actual runway her mother, which was like very
interesting and fascinating because all of the teams had to
like take up their desks really and about with a
runway show right through there, and the next day the
buyers would come and it would be like a little
bit of a like weird vibe because like everybody's unsettled, like.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Right, of course, it's like the morning after the party.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Basically, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
It was like, yeah, but I remember that night more
than anything because the show I think was like at
five o'clock and I was at my studio doing fittings,
and I had like twenty models coming in for castings
because my show is the next morning. And I remember
looking at this girl on my team I'm still very
close with, and I looked at her and I said,
(09:46):
I have to go. She said, what do you mean
you have to go. You can't go. There's twenty girls coming,
you have all these finnings, we have tailors. I was like,
I have to go. Yeah, and she said why and
I said, I have a feeling. I said, First of all,
I can't miss Oscar show. I said, weirdly, just I
don't know, it's just were there the last time I
see him?
Speaker 2 (10:06):
I don't know, And it was.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I'll be completely front with you, we didn't know it
was going to be his last show.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
I felt it is that weird. I felt it. I
said it to her.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Funny that you say that. My parents obviously followed every
single show into as many as they could. And because
Laura and I were in like the deep like trenches, Yeah,
you don't really pay attention to any kind of.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Like human response.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Yeah, this person is at the very last time. Yeah,
it was a very big shock when he passed away.
For Laura and me, like, even though we knew he
was going through a lot of like chemo, we were
I will speak for myself. I was a complete wreck
(10:59):
for a month. And I will never forget being in
Italy and being like I flew to Italy with Laura
because that's what we do every time we have a collection.
We go there and see the tailoring that we're developing
for daywear. And I still remember being in and because
we work in Naples, we went to Capri and we're
(11:24):
at our hotel that we stay there just to like
have a weekend stay. And I remember the daya that
happened and I felt it in my gut that was
going to happen that day.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
It was intense.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
It was intense.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
I was in touch with everybody in the house, where
he was, where he pas. It was. It was emotional.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
He was like this surreal figure in my life that
was this kind gentleman and so talented. And I remember
him saying, how much you loved to sketch, and you
would show me his sketches and he would say, I
don't ever not want to do this. For the last
time I saw him, and I was so glad that
I that I did, and I remember he was leaning
against the window when I came backstage and saw him
(12:10):
after the show, and I wasn't going to because I
was in a hurry, and I said, let me just
go give him a kiss, let me just go talk
to him. And he was very weak and there was
a lot of people around him, and I left there going,
thank god, I just went. And I remember in my
praierher role because when you told me, I remember you
and Laura kind of like if he was like to
the left, like you guys were like back by that column,
(12:32):
you know, on the stage, but I didn't know you,
which was so weird.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
You remember that, Yeah, I remember where you were standing.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
And it's very strange because when I met you, I
remember the first time it was sort of like I
knew you for ten years. There was some part of
my life that you were in and I hadn't physically
met you. So then when we finally connected, it was like, Okay,
we're in love. Now we're best friends for life, and
let's just talk. Let's just I think.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
That he definitely understood the electricity that your personality in
mind lare have, so obviously he was a very good
curator of people that would get along with each other,
and it was seamless to me. As soon as I
met you, I'm like, oh, I feel like I've known
you for a day.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
It's so weird.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
So he knew what he was doing, well, he knew.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
What he was doing because look at you. Now.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
He had a gut feeling about the fire Sagittarius in
me that Martha was celebrating.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
As wait, did everyone hear that he just went to
a Sagittarius lunch with the Queen Martha Stewart?
Speaker 2 (13:45):
You didn't hear that? We need to embrace that.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I think that that's like a badge of honor that
I will never forget, I.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Said next to her at a dinner and almost did,
I said him years ago. Now, I like, I think
we say hi to each other. But I still will
reintroduce myself.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I mean, by the way. You know what's funny is
I always reintroduce myself to people that I don't believe
I'm friends with. And so my guess is in my
floor is the Michael course, And you know he's like
a sweetheart, but.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
The sweetest person in the world.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
I know, but like, I'm thirty eight and I'm still
in my mind an intern at Oscars company, right, I
really really am.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Can I say something, Fernando, I'm still twenty two crashing
a bakeup show. No, I honestly I.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Lower coffee every single day because I am in my
mind her intern still so and I still do. Okay,
So when I see Michael and the elevator. Every time
I see him in the elevator, I'm like, Hi, am Fernando,
and I know who you are, just.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Like with his sunglasses on and the tan, I know.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
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excited to surprise them this year with matching pairs of
limited edition sneakers that they both love. I consider it
(16:26):
a win anytime they let me dress them these days.
So thank you eBay for making me the cool mom.
For now. We've all got a thing, and it's on eBay.
Maybe it's scoring all the vintage fines, building an entire
wall of sneakers, or hunting down a deal on that
designer bag. So go find the thing, like the rare
sneakers that will make you mom of the year. Whatever
(16:47):
you love, find it on eBay. eBay things people love.
I can't, but Fernando, so tell me a little bit
about Like so, you started as an intern.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
You obviously belt your way up.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
You've worked your ass off the old fashioned way. You
have the fire and the passion, and I think that's
part of why I love you so much, just because
I don't think that's ever going to change.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I think you'll be sixty five doing this and you'll still.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Have that Oscar never wanted to retire and now understand
it now.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yep, he didn't, but you know, but but you have
done different things throughout the last you know, ten years
or more, whatever it is. But like, so, I want
to talk about that because I want to talk a
little bit about how tremendously scary this business can be.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
And you know it's not that scary.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Well it can be, though, I sure.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
For people that don't know where they want to go
in fashion, it absolutely should be scary, right right, And
you knew, and that's where you are where you are.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
But but I was driven a lot by fear of failure.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Sure, and I know that you have.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
That failure isn't a big motivator for sure. Also, you
know what the big motivator is? Competition Laura and me,
and yes, we fell in love in every way. And
Oscar Atnuit he was doing because he was not just
gaining a lovely relationship and his team, but gaining two
(18:26):
fears competitors that wanted to outdo each other every single season.
So every single season, Laura and I would like just
like want to like up like one another, and so
and and and Laura is really competitive, just like me
and so whenever.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
And she's a quiet competitive though.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Bitch, excuse me, I didn't say that, but she's not that.
She is a serious one that comes across as like
a sweet little angel, and as soon as you get
in the trenches with her, you realize that, oh so
she means business Like I don't have the best selling
(19:03):
dress this season, and I am in the best I
don't matter to her as much. So and it motivated
me because I am not a business mind. Person in
a couple of ways. So it taught me to be
one because of her right and so now her our team,
(19:24):
we're all like looking to and even in the team
now and noticing the pattern repeating itself like that. The
team is like, okay, so this is what you know
is the top dog strategy. You have to like have
the bestseller dress, also the big red carpet moment, like
they have a combination of things, and so all of
(19:48):
that mattered, and it made us better. It made us
chisel our you know, knife and become stronger letners.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
You know, it's kind of funny because I think you
guys have this very kind competitive relationship, which is very rare.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Though that's very rare.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
We're on the same team, but we are definitely always competing.
All of us in fashion are always competing. But you
just have to have your heart like be very like
clear and transparent. Everybody's motives are going to be like
very like noticeable. As soon as you enter a team,
you notice what the people's priorities are in the team.
(20:31):
And so once you align everybody's like priorities, you really excel.
And I will give Laura credit. Laura aligned the team
after two or three years in a really impressive way,
having an understanding of everybody's priorities in the team, no
(20:53):
matter how old or young they are. Everybody has to
be aligned and focus on a goal. So I think
that she deserves a lot of credit for that. She
helped the team align.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Myself, Now, how do you decide?
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Because so much of what people know you for and
knew Oscar for is the red carpet, right, But the
other thing is that I think many people don't know
is just one of the things I love most about Oscar.
That I love most about you as well is your
love of women, your love of making women actually feel,
(21:32):
look and feel they're absolutely most glamorous, most beautiful. But
to your credit, you have taken the reins at Oscar
with Laura and made it incredibly modern and your own.
And that is not easy. It's not easy, and there's
a huge expectation. And you know, Oscar has had customers
(21:55):
that have been Oscar customers and clients.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
For what fifty years?
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:01):
More more?
Speaker 1 (22:03):
And so how is that in terms of like pressure,
Because the reality of it is, you have had more
hits on the biggest stars in the world over even
since I've known you really over the last few years.
It's like one after the other after the other, and
icons like Sarah Jessica, Taylor Swift, I mean, Selena Gomez NonStop,
(22:28):
Nicole Kimmen, I mean, it goes on. This is like
the drink, Fernando. It used to only be European designers
and every once in a while an American designer would
have that moment. You are having moment after moment after
moment after moment.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
That is not easy.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Thank you heard that? Huge bad I mean, I don't
take it lightly, especially coming from you who find the
reason I prowd became gay. I mean with the Tory
Boys necklace, forget it.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
I'm like a hawk pin deer still will always be
one of.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
My favorite iconic. So to answer your question, it's not
overnight right. First of all, I didn't join Oscar thinking
I was going to become creative director of Oscar. Oscar
thinking I'm the luckiest Dominican boy in the world and
I'm going to work my way up somehow and make
(23:23):
him happy, and to me and Laura going home for
six years as his assistant and making him smile from
one dress in that one month that.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
To us was you're winning. You're winning.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
That was as simple as that. So I want to
give everybody perspective to understand that that the pressure that
I feel today is a pressure that was built through
time to have me tolerate. So so the pressure to
make him smile was my first pressure, and after that,
other pressures, you know, surmount to themselves on top of me.
(24:04):
So everything that you all see me and my team
doing to me now after fifteen years is a lot
lighter than probably from somebody from the outside of things
that like, oh, this is like what they must be
like dying right now. Now, Like we really have worked
our way up to understanding the expectations and understanding what
(24:28):
the talent wants to perceive themselves as through the public lands.
So in a way, I have also become a little
bit of a therapist, because you know that very well.
So you understand that when I meet somebody they funny enough,
(24:49):
you know me, They are nervous, they think, oh, you're
going to be whatever whatever the impression is, and I'm
just like, I like break them down and I figure
out what is going to make them the most comfortable, vulnerable,
susceptible to my words or my personality so that they
(25:11):
can become their truest self in the moment that I
need them. Why because I need them to be that
way throughout the process that of my creating a Mechcali
moment for them.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Yeah, because they're a wedding dress, which one or a
wedding dress like on press or.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
I mean doing a Ma Bloney's wedding dress. Was as
ls your's assistant. Even though I was doing a lot
of the heavy lifting, Amala Floney did rely on Oscar
and me and Laura to come up with something that was,
you know, worthy of that big moment on stage right.
(25:49):
And I was I was twenty six when this was
all going on, and I was noticing how Oscar maneuvered
the situation and how he handled himself. And I learned
a lot from him during that period. And that's because
and from that point on, amm Flue and I kind
(26:11):
of like had this like it's not a battle scar,
but it's just like she.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
And I like have this like monthly trauma bonding.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
Yeah, we were bonded from that. Like, so when I
was developing mom say, I I was like, you know, scared.
I was like, I'm all like I don't know what
to do, like should we enjoy a show here? Should
we do this? And she's like, why are you know?
I'm like, oh, I'm in Italy right now. I'm developing
(26:39):
the first month a collection ever and this is in
twenty fifteen, and so she's like, oh, I'm in come on.
I'm like, oh, I'm in Milan. She's like, come over, Rachel,
and I'm all there, how much I love this memory.
It was incredible and she was like, show me all
of your sketches. I want to see the first one
(27:00):
the collection. I still remember that moment like yesterday because
I arrived at the house and I got to the
living room of her home in Como and I am
showing her all discussion on the floor. The dogs were
licking me. It was adorable. And then she's like, let's
go have lunch outside and I'm like, okay where I'm
(27:21):
like in my head, I'm like, it's real. And then
she takes me to the courtyard and I noticed that
there's high trenches because of aparazzi, so they can't really
like have like this glorious view, which broke my heart
a little bit. But then yeah, but then I was
just like, okay, so let's go have some food. And
(27:41):
she's like, oh, George arrived, and I'm like what and
he shows up. I'm not going to repeat what he said,
but it was really funny. And the buyguard was next
to me, and I was probably like considered like a
threat because that was like a brand new person mall's
life in their eyes. But George was really sweet, because
(28:04):
he's so sweet. He was just like asking me the
importance of you know, the re carpet moments that we
do with them all, and the understanding the world that
we're in and the influence that they have on the world,
and inquisitive and interested in fun.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
And it's good that in those moments you can recognize
it's a pinch me, surreal moment.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
It's good that you can do that.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I think I made the
mistake of never recognizing those moments until now when people
ask me about them, and I'm like, right that, yes,
it happened, because in my mind, the moments are more
those moments of like seeing Oscar for the last time,
or the first time he took me to a studio
and showed me his sketches, and you know, with Car Lagerfeld.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Those were my moments.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
So let's talk about Monse for a second, because what
in what life and what planet? While you're at Oscar,
jay La Rna, do you look at Laura and say, hey,
let's start another brand, Let's start our own because I
just I need to just like sort of paint the picture.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Because what you're doing in Oscar.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
And arguably one of the biggest, most recognized, highly regarded
houses in America for sure and throughout the world.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
But that in and of itself is how many collections
a year?
Speaker 3 (29:27):
It's four for Oscar for for Monse. Too bridal and
at this point the VIP list used to be me
doing red carpet moments, meaning six a year o the
ic list. Basically we're doing cature without right right, and
(29:47):
it's fabulous.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
It's like closet to cature.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
It's closet cature. It's Fernando's so got.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
So really like what triggers you at that point to
be like this isn't enough.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
I need to start our own line. We need to
start it now.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
It wasn't that, to be right, honest, we didn't know
what Oscar's health was going to end up, Like right
and Lauren and I were thinking about our future, and
Lauren and I also needed to understand who we were
as designers outside of Yes, it wasn't that we wanted
(30:23):
to like add on, it was that we need to
like scratch an itch yeah, and it also is really
like formative. We needed to learn who we were outside
of a big umbrella corp, so to speak, and understand
what the world was like when you have to fend
for yourself, and we did have to fend for ourselves
(30:46):
for two years. We figured out what their crass tax
reality was for the majority of designers that want to
start from scratch. And so I think that it made
us the designers that we are today. I don't think that.
I don't think that Oscar was wrong in thinking that
we needed a little bit more growth. But we got it.
(31:08):
But we got it and it was necessary.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
And also it's a very different language monse versus Oscar Dillierent.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
It's a totally different being.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
Because we had to figure out a new DNA after
you know, his passing. It was important to us and
we consulted a couple of people. We consulted Kit Young,
we consulted Sex Buying Team, very important minded people that
that saw ar trajectory as a system OSCAR and knew
(31:45):
what we wanted, and so we were trying to like
guide us as to like making a name for ourselves
in a very independent, isolated unassociated to oscaring.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
So it's so unbelievably impressive.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
And so now one thing I really want to talk
to you about is because it's something we see so
often in so many industries, from food to beauty and
certainly to fashion. And you and I have talked about this,
you know, two three in the morning on text. How
do you handle Copycatskay?
Speaker 3 (32:24):
The last time I remember that is once a copied
manse our beginning of our deconstructing of shirts. I don't
think that there's anything else to say but to be
flattered by it, because the price points are very different,
and it doesn't affect your business to a to a detrimental.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
So how do you continue to keep everything new and fresh?
And what's so interesting is I did not know that
you studied architecture, because that tracks, by the way, because
so much of your most recent collections I've seen so
much of that.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
I've seen so much architecture, and.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
I think that's what Laura and I do because you know,
our lives are extremely busy. Yes, is be surrounded by
the people that we want to dress. And you know, Nikki,
as you know, is my.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Best friend absolutely Nilton. Yeah, you guys are the cutest
best friends.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
By the way, Well, she takes caramels and we love.
But I do want to give credit to the to
the girls in my life like you, like Nikki, like Laura,
that keep my head on my shoulders. We made it
and it's beautiful and hilarious and fun.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
And you there is no one that can make me
literally laugh out loud in the morning.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Out of it.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Do I sleep?
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Then?
Speaker 1 (33:59):
You it literally like give me life when I need
it the most.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
You know.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
I just want to say that I love you madly.
I love everything you've done. I love how you've built
it humble brick by humble brick. I love that you
have your confidence now but you still feel twenty two.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
In some ways. I am.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
I also think you're dressing the best, and you know,
I think keeping that humility is a superpower.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
I really do.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
Well, I'll say this. When Laura and I left Oscar,
I noticed something that was a great and very valuable
calling card that I recommend anybody who is starting something
from scratch to vulnerability is something that I didn't understand.
What is not just attractive but welcoming to personal and
(35:00):
all like relationships or business opportunities. It is extremely attractive
because people feel like they're about to join something important
in someone's life. So as soon as I discovered that,
I was like, without any shame, knocking them a few
doors and being like, hey, we just left Oscar, we
(35:20):
want to figure this out. Help us. Saying the words
help us is something I cannot say enough and recommend
to people, because yeah, you definitely have to have a
draft record, right, you have to have like a little
bit of a reputation to like earn the Okay, I'll
help you. But but you will be surprised how many
(35:46):
people are so like hard on themselves about asking for help.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Of course, no, I mean I think that's actually the
hardest thing to do.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
That's crazy, you ask for like, don't want to ask
for help. There is absolutely like a ton of reasons
why they don't want to, but they tell.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Us I would agree with that very much.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
I think it makes them feel less than or that
they haven't achieved any success or when he.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
Was there and me and Laura were like, no, no
problem asking help us.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
I mean, and it worked.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
And I think you're doing it, and I think your
relationship is amazing, and I think I'm very excited to.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Just continue to see what you guys do. I mean,
I like love it.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
I'm like standing here with pom poms like cheering you
guys on in every dress and every collection, and you're
so adored.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
You are so adored.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
For me, it's the thing that always attracted me the
most to Oscar was how he spoke to women and
how he treated women and how he he listened to them.
And that's what you guys are doing. That's what you're doing.
Like I see you when you're working with someone, whether
it's Paris or Taylor Swift or Selena Gmez or any
of these people. Jessica Chastein like you are, like I
(37:13):
have to suit you on. I don't know if she
I don't know if that color she made that may
be too somewhere. I don't know if this is going
to be you know, it's.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Like that thing I seriously like think like you might
want me to. Like there's moments where I'm like, sac
actually tell me, Like hell, Elizabeth Stuart is going to
probably want me to do this, Like I seriously have
moments where I think about the people that got us.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
To Let's talk about stylists for one minute because or
two because I want to talk about it. I'm going
to take my stylist hat off, but I want to
talk about that because you work with so many stylists,
and I know you do, and you have an appreciation
for them rather than a there are any designers that
(38:01):
are resentful about stylists. There are some that love them,
and there's some that hate them.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
So I'm going to give you some perspective. I came
to Oscar before Silence for to be honest cool. The
first one that like broke my thinking of how important
they are to the business was Kate Young, right. I
saw the resilience of her clients throughout my career and
(38:32):
learned a lot about the psychology that goes into creating
something for somebody in a really like pressure filled moment.
From after that, Pristina Rlick and you know Andrew McConnell
and all these other amazingly talented people that in a
way are like therapists. They are they are psychologists. They
(38:55):
are there to understand the level of impact they need
to deliver, also the influence that they want to cast
upon the fans that that person has like and by
the way, that fluctuates. Every every client wants to go
up or down or medium, and they do mean medium sometimes,
(39:15):
So it's it's It was an incredible learning experience during
the most like like soaking moments of Fernando's twenties. So
I learned a lot about that psychology through the people
that you know, delivered the moments that everybody remembers from
a brand outside of like you know, selling a lot
(39:38):
of clothes to customers that are loyal to us and
deserve all of our attention. The loudest voices are the
santatriska partners or sex of the city. For the brands
like mine, I don't even have words like meeting her
when Oscar did her last at Galla moment and she
(39:59):
ORed herself on the floor of the office with a
binder that she herself came with of all the Charles
jam the references, because that's who we were celebrating at
that moment.
Speaker 5 (40:11):
It taught me that you know, no matter what how
complicated or how busy your life is in fashion, everybody
does get wrapped up into all of that.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
But when you see somebody that is as passionate as
Sara just got, throwing herself on the door with a
binder that she herself research and in her closet where
she has a bin of ribbons, like we go a
way back, and I herd that relationship like an idiot.
But she truly does matter for culture, She matters for fashion,
(40:47):
and she is somebody who has always upheld it in
a very respectful, intelligent, researched way. I don't think that
there's enough of Sergey. I guess in the world.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
There aren't. There are not.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
They are not. I mean I hope that there will be,
but there are not now. But I think I don't know.
It's just it's such a beautiful thing. And I love
that relationship, and I cannot wait to see you keep
doing what you do. I love you so much. I
love seeing your love for women. I love seeing your
love for creating for women and creating these magic moments.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Peer from the entire planet for the next two months.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
So well, I'm gonna hunt you down and I'm going
to blow up your phone.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
You love I am.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
I love you so much.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Thank you so much to Fernando for coming on the
pod today. He is truly brilliant. He is so beyond talented,
and he designs not only with his talent, of course,
and his skill, but with his heart and with a
huge admiration and respect for women, with humility, with humor.
(42:12):
He is so incredibly funny. He's the most fun person
to go out with, and I know he has truly
just begun. His statement that vulnerability is attractive is really
inspiring because I think it really is very true. And
I think asking for help is an important reminder and
lesson for everyone to take from this episode, including me,
(42:37):
because I think we have so much ego and so
much shame in asking for help, and so I loved
that moment amongst many. I loved this episode so much,
and I love you, Fernando. Thank you so much for
listening to Climbing and Heels. If you haven't already, please
subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeart app,
or wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss
(42:59):
a single episode this season. And be sure to follow
me on Instagram at at rachel Zo and the show
at cleming Inhales pod for the latest episodes and updates.
I will talk to you soon.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Lack
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