There’s a reason why Heidi Klum and Jessica Simpson both love Argentinean model turned designer Cecila De Bucourt’s unique and glamorous clothing. With hand made embroidery and rich detailing, her designs are simply stunning. Here, we get the lowdown on her favorite designers, her modeling career, and the baby she’s expecting in March.
What is your design aesthetic?
I like to design clothes that are feminine, sexy, flirty and fun with a lot of detail. My designs have very little or no structure. I love ‘flowy’ dresses and pieces that look one of a kind. That is why I do a lot of hand cut, hand painting and hand embroidery on my designs. I like to emphasize on the details at the back. It is important to have a sexy back because when you walk away from someone they will turn to look at your back.
What inspires you?
My biggest inspiration has always been music and dance. When I started designing I was taking classes of Flamenco and African dance and I would also go out dancing a lot with my friends. I would create my own outfits for each occasion. In fact after doing this my friends, and other girls I would meet would request what I was wearing. This inspired me also to design pieces that would make a woman feel special and unique.
What did modelling teach you about clothes? What are the best and worst outfits you’ve worn on the runway?
The truth is I have been around fashion since I was born. My mother was a model, and I started modelling when I was 14 years old. I worked all over the world (Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Madrid, New New York). The most important thing that I learned during my career as a model was that you don’t have to follow the trend, and you have to dedicate yourself in designing clothes that make a woman feel confident, and comfortable in her skin. I have seen, and experienced this first hand where sometimes during the shoots and fashion shows, even if clothes were trendy they just made me feel stiff, and flawed.
How does your line reflect your roots in Argentina?
It’s passion that both reveal. My line is about making a woman feel good, and sexy in her own skin.
What’s your favourite outfit for a night out and for just hanging out on the weekends?
When I hangout I usually wear jeans, and a tank top. Very casual and simple. I like the comfort of simplicity when I sit around. But, when I go out that’s a different story. I usually wear my designs. I don’t have a favourite that I wear all the time, because I usually mix it consistently.
Other than yourself, who are some of your favourite designers?
Roberto Cavalli, Alexander McQueen and Dolce and Gabbana are my favourite designers.
What advice would you give to emerging designers trying to gain recognition?
Believe in your self, embrace your authenticity and work hard. It’s a tough world out there, and I have been quite blessed to have succeeded a little. The truth is I never aimed for recognition I just enjoy my work, and as long as this continues I will feel quite successful.
What’s next for you? What are your future plans?
From the professional point of view I am going to focus a little bit more in my online store, because I have had a lot of interest from international markets. Our online store ( www.cdbstore.com) has been up and running for few years now, and in the next month or so there will be some updates. I will continue showing my new collections for few more years, and one day maybe in the future I might want to open a boutique, However, right now I am going to focus my energy on my two year old daughter Sofia, and my husband. We are expecting another baby in mid March so this will keep us very busy.
Where can we buy your clothes?
You can buy them directly from the online store at www.cdbstore.com , or visit one of the 59 stores in US. Some of the stores where you can find Cecilia De Bucourt collections are INTERMIX, Tracey Ross in L.A, On My Own In L.A, Jade in Chicago, Oxygen in Miami, IOS in Miami, Ron Herman, Atrium in New York and Miami, LA FEMME in Puerto Rico, CREAM in London.
