Moschiano is Haute Couture

TEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND HUNDREDS OF HAPPY BRIDES MAKE GOWNS BY MARIA MOSCHIANO VERY SPECIAL GUESTS AT VENEZUELA'S MOST GLAMOROUS EVENTS

By Johan Ramírez
Photography: Oz Films

Maria Moschiano is very clear that, regarding her creative process, those graceful 90-60-90 cm measurements should be reserved for the runway. Accordingly, she designs for a real, contemporary woman who wishes to look glamorous and to wear couture, without feeling pressured into having the body of a runway model. Thus, in her ten years as a designer, she has dressed from celebrities and diplomats to hundreds of brides of all age groups and cultures. Also, she has been creating gentlemen's collections for three years, a production line which has drawn frequent male customers to her atelier. There seems to be no limit to this creative, innovative and free spirited designer (qualities she evidences in her own character). Each day brings surprises and new concepts, such as a line of handmade jewelry for high-end events and a fabulous shoe collection unveiled nine months ago.

How far does Maria Moschiano want to go?

It is difficult to say. "Not even I know"- says the designer-, "because I am a student of fashion. I am always searching, investigating trends and figuring out how to incorporate and reshape them." She believes the secret to her success is based on three key elements considered vital to any profession, especially to hers: keenness of vision, good taste and updated knowhow. In her case, the two former may be present as most formidable family traits, having been born in a family linked to clothing and textiles: her grandfather and father were tailors. "I was born in their shops and they taught me how to make a sleeve or a waistband. That was child's play to me", she tells us. As a result, her natural vocation for this trade is not a bit surprising.

However, when faced with choosing a college education, she was inclined toward Administration. "As soon as I graduated I left it all to pursue design, my true passion as I discovered. I had to prepare for it, of course. I studied at Parsons, New York, and then took several specialization courses in Venezuela", she explained.

Properly Spoiled

Finally, ten years ago, she opened her atelier at Leonardo Da Vinci Avenue in Bello Monte, Caracas. She started out by making evening gowns, which captivated her. Two years later, she boldly confronted a second production line: bridal gowns. "It was so successful that people began to think I only worked for weddings, when in fact it was something I was just beginning to do. It has been ten wonderful years", talented Maria smiles, radiant among her creations under development in her shop.

Something that defines her is the effort she puts in her work, the rigorous labor of making a wedding gown, resulting in a complete delight to her clients, a joyful experience among the sometimes hectic process of planning a wedding. Attuned to this, Maria tries her best to make it the least worrisome for the bride, on the contrary: "I love it when the bride only thinks of her gown when she comes to the fittings. We do the rest. I style her in person on the wedding day, stockings to tiara, so she feels relaxed and is the loveliest she can be for the photos. I love to spoil them", she admits.

"In fact, brides are the only ones allowed three fittings. The first two are done on the go, the last one when everything is in place and finished. This happens around two weeks before the wedding. This is the moment when I ask them to keep their weight in check and also when I focus on the embroidery. They never see a finished wedding gown until the day they are getting married".

What don't you like?

Regarding her work dynamics, there is always a first meeting between designer and client. At this point, she only listens. After the future bride speaks her mind, after evaluating the magazines she brings showing the dress she envisions, and after listing everything it is that she wants, Maria makes a very important question: What don't you like? "Because there can be a thousand things a bride likes, but what she does not like will ultimately define the dress, those are the real limitations", she stresses. On the second meeting, she will present three or four different sketches and then comes the dilemma for her clients: "Why three? Now I don't know which one to choose!" they complain jokingly. .

Afterward, the work is all on her. Her challenge, she says, is not to ask someone to lose 20 kilos to fit the gown she wants, but rather to work with what she has, to hide the excesses, to execute the cuts in order to enhance the qualities. "I always take my client's ideas, I listen and take her vision into account, because a good designer does not impose, but works with the wishes of the customer and takes them to the forefront. It is about taking the suggestions and converting them into something a thousand times better, transforming them into an exclusive design."

Whites, grays and purples.

On a table in her shop, Maria has an album full of photos of her bridal gowns. There are the classic princesses in a veil and tiara, and also bolder and less mainstream pieces, such as a gray suit that was commissioned a few months ago, or even one in purple. There are also the more modern gowns, mermaid silhouettes with no train, precisely what Maria would choose for her own wedding.

On the other hand, making the classic gown is what she enjoys the most. "They are like works of art", she says. Execution, inside and out, is always flawless, never a seam in sight, hand embroidered and always with a corset, a must for Maria. What does easily vary is color "and now the ivory tones and off whites are in trend, out goes traditional white", she adds. In any case, the main issue is to consider not only the bride's wishes but also the venue of the ceremony. "A wedding in Dubai is not the same as a wedding in Denmark", she points out.

Designing for men

Menswear is a novelty at her atelier. For three years she has been creating for men and, even though many find this not as rewarding as designing for women, Maria Moschiano disagrees. She believes that in designing for gentlemen, the greatest challenge (hence the fun) is to create something new, untraditional. She admits that the palette is limited in this case, but also believes that, in consequence, a designer must set a high standard for herself in order to achieve something valuable and extraordinary.

Creative Guarantee

Cuts and drapery are this designer's signature features. Then comes the handwork that sets her creations apart: silver thread embroidery that makes for the perfect final stroke. But the definite plus for Maria Moschiano is an essential to haute couture: exclusivity. She never repeats herself. "It often happens that a bride arrives with a magazine photo of one of my gowns and she wants it for herself. Sadly, I cannot copy it but I take the idea as a starting point for new sketches of something completely different even if based on an old concept. Thank God they are always satisfied", she says. A similar thing happens with evening gowns. In this, her creativity is above all. "You are aware of your mental capacity. It is so great that one can afford to create something different for every client. And that is what I love, to make something different every time, something completely apart from anything done before. Luckily, this comes easily to me, I have never had a creative block", she points out.

The secret to her success is based on three key elements: Keenness of vision, good taste and updated knowhow.

December 2009
Source: Ocean Drive - Venezuela