THE DESIGNER
Refined Couture clothes of sophisticated and alluring simplicity with impeccable finishing touches is what best distinguishes Leonardo’s work as a fashion designer.
Starting his career in 1981 while attending the internationally prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York City, learning his craft in the heart of Seventh Avenue, and having the opportunity to be mentored by some of the most legendary names in American fashion, such as Oscar De La Renta, Louis Dell’Olio of Anne Klein & Co., Michael Vollbracht and Donald Brooks among others, who acted as designer critics during his school years, were experiences that left an indelible impression on his future professional work ethics.
Upon graduation, Leonardo received the Gold Thimble Award for design excellence, which is the highest honor, this institution grants to their most celebrated graduates.
After traveling extensively and developing a personal style in both his designs and artistic fashion illustrations, he opened a design studio in Caracas, conducting from an updated perspective, an academic curriculum of courses and seminars, invigorating the fashion educational field in Venezuela.
Throughout his professional trajectory, the constant impulse to extend and share his expertise with a younger generation of new talents has taken him to different colleges and cultural foundations in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, where he has been consultant, instructor and international guest designer critic.
In 1989, he started designing under his own label ready to wear collections, that became an instant success for a rapidly growing group of elegant women, who also started demanding exclusive one of a kind couture and bridal gowns to wear to their most memorable events.
Precisely cut suits, sensuous silk crepe evening columns, draped chiffon dresses, subtle beading, glamorous palazzo pants and romantic wedding dresses, have become the core of his extensive repertoire.
His continuous inspiration, consistently creates timeless pieces that strike the right balance between clean lines and modern feminine fluidity.
THE ATELIER
A passion for the perfect fit
Fashion design is a rigorous discipline, a designer is constantly inspired to bring innovation and uniqueness when sketching an idea as the previous step before making a finished garment that needs to be functional and respond to the customer’s desires. The Atelier or design studio is a fashion laboratory where these rough ideas come alive; first the production team starts translating the designer’s vision, drafting a flat pattern or draping muslin directly on the mannequin or dress form. Once the final pattern has been corrected, it becomes the blue print for tracing it on the chosen fabric.
Experienced hands shape these materials into amazingly draped sculptures with fluid invisible seams, magical and luminous crystal beaded embroideries, soft pleats or subtle tucks. Pins, scissors, needle and thread are the fundamental and traditional tools needed to achieve all these wonders. Yards of Chiffon, Crepe, Tulle, Organza or Shantung will be transformed into the most magnificent pieces.
Intuition and the sense of beauty of everyone involved in this creative process play a very important part.
Technology is a valuable resource and has entirely changed the whole industry, the possibilities for new advances are endless, but to this day couture as an art form, remains a manual craft depending on the designer’s trained eye to ensure the garment’s right balance, proportion and fit.
