Atlas of Fashion Designers

Ángel Sánchez







Á

51

Ángel Sánchez

Ángel Sánchez gladly entered the family business, a sewing shop in Venezuela specializing

in customized work, where he soaked up fashion over the years among the sewing machines

and scissors. Time and other interests, however, caused his initial dream to gradually fade,

and he ended up enrolling as an architecture student at Universidad Simón Bolivar in

Caracas. Ángel’s architectural studies provided him with the additional tools he needed to

arrive at the profession he fi nally opted for: that of fashion designer. With this idea in mind

and a head full of doubts, he thus decided to devote himself to fashion.

In 1995, Ángel opened his own showroom in New York.  at same year, the corona-

tion of a Miss Venezuela dressed in one of his garments made it clear to him that he had

been born to make dresses for the most beautiful women on the planet. His garments are

an architecturally immaculate armature conceived to emphasize femininity with elegance.

Made with a meticulous attention to detail, his light, vaporous designs extol the fi gure of a

harmoniously proportioned woman.

As Karl Lagerfeld and Cavalli did for H&M, Ángel has designed a collection for the Ven-

ezuelan chain Beco, in what seems to represent an evolution from the most refi ned haute

couture to a more elaborate and elegant pret-a-porter for everyday wear.

 e trajectory of this great master has extended beyond the frontiers of his native Venezue-

la, and he is currently one of the most coveted designers for the biggest stars in Hollywood.

And the fact is that few are able to build dreams on a single pattern.

Photography by Anibal Mestre

52

Ángel Sánchez

To the right, a black silk tulle cocktail

dress. Over it, tulle body embroidered

in small antique silver pieces. To the

left, deep blue silk chiff on dress. All

belong to the 2008 “Evening Resort”

collection.

Photography by Dan & Corina Lecca

53

Ángel Sánchez

Photography by Dan & Corina Lecca

54

Ángel Sánchez

- What inspires you?

In my work, you fi nd nostalgia and modernity existing alongside each other. Nostalgia comes from my childhood fas-

cination with the cinematography of the 50s, but the simple lines are the result of my training as an architect.

As an architect, each design begins with a drawing, but it’s the construction and the way a dress gets assembled that

interests me most—achieving the right proportion and hang, and without being a minimalist, trying to economize

when it comes to ornamentation and diff erent purposes in a single design.

 e romantic and Latin side is also very present. I’m seduced by the drama and impact a design can generate, and I’m

fascinated by that almost forgotten sense of elegance and glamour, which is why I always work with classical fi gures,

although I reinterpret them, giving them a subtly modern and unexpected touch.

- What is your dream as a designer?

Like any designer, I have to admit that I want international recognition and to grow and expand in terms of off ers and

products, but I don’t dream of inspiring a revolution with my work.  e truth is, I only try to use fashion as a way of

expressing myself, and for me it would be a great achievement to continue feeling the intimate and immediate satisfac-

tion that I’ve always felt with my work and to enjoy being acknowledged for it along the way, which would give me the

necessary resources and strength to express my ideas in a more defi nitive way.

- What has been the most important achievement of your career?

My wisest decision was made just as I was enjoying my best professional moment in my country. It was having taken the

risk and having had the courage to move beyond the boundaries of my own success and face an international competi-

tion. After that, my wisest move was being able to persevere and survive until I’d made a name for myself, even if just

a small one, in a business as competitive as this one.

- How important are trends?

I make use of trends as a way of ensuring that my own work evolves and doesn’t grow old and repeat itself.

- Fashion has always refl ected a certain era. What does fashion refl ect in the twenty-fi rst century?

Accessibility and freedom.

- What book would you recommend to every fashion designer?

A biography of Cristobal Balenciaga. It could be Cristóbal Balenciaga by Lesley Ellis Miller (1993).

Ángel Sánchez

148 West 37th Street, 7th fl oor

New York, NY 10018

United States

www.angelsanchezusa.com