Silvia Tcherassi conquers the world of fashion from Miami
By Harriet Mays Powell
Although designer Silvia Tcherassi started out as an interior designer, it was a desire to explore different creative fields that ultimately lured her into fashion. Now, after 30 years, she is a truly global brand with boutiques in Coral Gables, Cartagena, and Madrid, plus retail partners and online sales from around the world. Her runway shows take place in the fashion capitals of Milan, Paris, and, most recently, New York. Recently we met at her headquarters in Coral Gables and discussed her design philosophy, her inspirations, and her definition of elegance.
Of Italian descent, Tcherassi was born and grew up in Colombia, in the coastal city of Barranquilla. She explains that it was this exposure to the Caribbean that greatly affected her perspective, adding that she “always looked outward, to the ocean and to the wider world.” This international point of view is underlined by the fact that her fabrics are all specially made in Italy, the clothes then being produced in Colombia. For decades, she says, “I have used these same fabric and manufacturing facilities and I consider them family.”
Along that familial vein, Tcherassi’s 29-year-old son Mauricio is the one who started the firm’s online division, which now accounts for 70 percent of the revenue. And her 23-year-old daughter Sofia is the creative director of the ready-to-wear, as well as a smaller couture line, Atelier, which together make up the remaining 30 percent of the business.
Known affectionately in her native country as one of Colombia’s “three S’s” – the other two being actress Sofia Vergara and singer Shakira – Silvia says her heritage is “part of my brand’s DNA.” Nonetheless, she insists that fashion doesn’t have a nationality. But given her global touch points, Tcherassi is well-equipped to discuss the differences between European, American, and Latin style.
American fashion is “more practical, more comfortable,” she says, citing Ralph Lauren as “the pioneer,” whereas Europeans tend to have a more artistic approach. Now, she says, Latin America has become another driving force in fashion. “For years, some of the greatest European fashion houses, like Dior, Givenchy, and Prada, have drawn inspiration from Latin America,” she says. However, she insists “that Latin America fashion is very diverse,” citing Uruguayan Gabriella Hearst (Chloe), Cuban American Lazaro Hernandez (Proenza Schouler), and herself as three designers with completely different approaches.
I ask if color is always important to her work and Tcherassi replies that Latins love color, but that she personally is “very much drawn to white,” explaining that at the beginning of her career she worked solely with neutral colors. But when she discovered the world of color, “a whole new universe opened up. Now I like to take risks, trying new palettes and unexpected combinations.”
It is her meticulous attention to quality and minute detail that Tcherassi feels is key to her success. “I am uncompromising,” she says, often returning samples and prototypes that fail to meet her exacting standards. (Amazingly, given the level of artistry and craftsmanship evident in every piece, her prices are very reasonable, ranging from $650 to $1,500. And her demi-couture Atelier prices are also well below designer norms, starting at around $3,000.) Tcherassi’s hand literally touches everything. She oversees the architecture and interior design of the boutiques, chooses the lighting, decides on the specific scent of the Tcherassi candle, and even picks the floral arrangements at her Coral Gables headquarters.
Given the frenetic pace all fashion designers must endure, creating numerous collections throughout the year, where does she find her inspiration season after season? Her fundamental drive, she says, comes from an “attraction to elegance,” but elegance that is “effortless, not pretentious or excessive. Inspiration can come from art, nature, and architecture, or the work of pioneering women like Frida Kahlo, Louise Bourgeois, and sculptor Anne Truitt.” All have been enduring inspirations for her. For her most recent Resort collection (available now in stores and online), Tcherassi says she was inspired by Mark Rothko’s color fields, as well as the underlying sense of mystery that permeates Cy Twombly’s work. “But you must have the ability to make something your own,” says the resident of Miami’s Coconut Grove, who also maintains a home in Cartagena, where she owns two historic hotels.
When discussing ephemeral fashion trends as opposed to timeless style, Tcherassi says that a designer should have a clear and coherent vision, but also the ability to adapt to the times. A prime example of this is her enduring love of flowing dresses and kaftans. These appear in every collection but are renewed each season with her latest prints and patterns. “A brand can evolve and incorporate trends, but its essence must remain intact,” she says. “Individuals should be able to experiment with trends, but must retain an identity, some quality that makes each person unique.”
