by Chandra Clewley

 

 

Last night’s challenge on Launch My Line eliminated perhaps the most colorful and unique designer on the show, Roberto. Roberto, who was paired up with Patrick McDonald, has a long, illustrious career in fashion and art. Born into a family of designers and socialites in Ecuador and then relocating to Florida, Roberto knew at an early age that unlike his other school mates; he wouldn’t be heading to Yale or Harvard. 

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: Roberto, you really are an inspiration for people who are interested in fashion. When did you know that you wanted to study fashion design? How did you decide on Paris? 

 

A. Roberto: I knew from when I was very young. I was third generation from the women’s side. My grandmother imported fabrics to Ecuador from Europe. My mother was a designer as well. Since five years old I was sewing and making costumes and having tea parties and tango with my grandmother. I grew up later on in the U.S. in Ft. Lauderdale. Fashion was the closest thing that we had to art and culture in high school, it was the 80’s and I did the whole punk and new wave scene, and even super preppy. My teachers suggested I apply to Pratt Institute and I won an art scholarship. You can’t do both art and fashion there though, you had to do one and then the other. I moved to Paris, fashion in Europe is considered an art form so it is very different than here.

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: How did it come about that Karl Lagerfeld discovered you?

 

A. Roberto: When I graduated from Studio Berçot , I made a capsule collection which was called a pre-product line. It was high-tec fabrics, very clean lines and very beautiful. One of the Vogue editors had spotted and loved the collection and wanted to take it to Karl because he was photographing for Vogue at the time. He loved it and wanted to meet me. I was very grateful, because Karl allowed me to be part of the entourage. I was able to go backstage and hang out with him and it was a very big deal because he had never allowed that before. 

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: When did you decide to go on Launch My Line?

 

A. Roberto: I think it was basically 2008; it was the economic meltdown, which was the catalyst. All of a sudden, the luxury collections collapsed, and I was supposed to launch my Ready-to-Wear collection in 2009, and was told that it was postponed until 2011. I was doing my couture line but that wasn’t enough. My sister was a big Bravo fan and had wanted me to become more well-known in America.  Launch My Line was the right concept for me because I was too far down the line in my career for a show like Project Runway. It shows me as an expert, as I would do for huge houses like Missoni and Blumarine where I am giving my creative input and direction to create a world class collection. 

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted:  How did you feel about your relationship with Patrick and working with him?

 

A. Roberto:  We didn’t know who were going to be partnered with and I kept saying “Oh God, don’t let it be him!”, and then it WAS him! Oh no what are we going to do now? We got along well because we are both gentlemen. The thing is, I am very volcanic. I am very calm and then I just can’t take it anymore and then I tear the place apart. That was not acting. What I was really trying to get through to Patrick, it is really collaboration. We all know it is Patrick’s line but you have to be able to work together. If it is just “me me me” you get nowhere. I really fought it out to make sure we didn’t get kicked out and we made something memorable and beautiful. By Episode 3, the “Walk on The Wild Side”, when he came back with that green monster of a dress, that dumper, I thought “You know what, I am just going to make this because either it is going to be really amazing, or really horrible.” It was his idea and I was going to show him, this is it. Unfortunately, I didn’t think I could but I actually did make it worse. He wanted this off the shoulder jumper but when you think snake, you should think long.

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted:  How close were the clothes to your own style?

 

A. Roberto: When you are working on something it has a particular hand, a particular style. My things do tend to be sensual and sexy, and luscious fabrics with beautiful colors. There is a definitely an element of me in there. Patrick is a fashion critic not a designer, so that is a big difference, if you have been watching fashion for 25 years and you have been designing fashion for 25 years it will be completely different.  That is where a lot of the problems started.  I wanted my relationship with Patrick to work. By Episode 3 with the green monster jumper dress, I didn’t care if we make ugly things, the most important thing was the relationship.

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: What are you working on currently?

 

A. Roberto:  I am doing a lot of private trunk shows in South Florida, and I am having a relief charity effort for Haiti with a private show where a lot of the proceeds will go to charity. Here, I am very busy in LA with all of the award shows. And I am starting to think about a television career as well.

 

Visit Roberto's Website by Clicking Here

 

You can catch an all new episode of Launch My Line on Bravo next Wednesday at 10 p.m.

 

Follow me on Twitter: Chandra

 

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

 

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