Laura Castillo, born in 1989 in Madrid, is a designer and creative director at Poète.
In her designs she always tries to talk about femininity and her idea of beauty. During more than 8 years in the fashion industry she has worked for brands such as H&M, Intropia, El Corte Inglés, Guy Laroche and Pierre Cardin, among others. In her work she always tries to show the essence and philosophy of each brand, projecting it throughout the creative process and making the client feel part of it.
First of all, thank you for granting us this interview, what exactly are your functions at the head of the company?
As creative director I am in charge of creating the concept and the collection of each season, leading the entire creative process until the end. Making sure to maintain the philosophy, strategies and objectives of the brand.
Why did you choose the fashion industry and what attracts you to it?
I have always been very creative and sensitive, it was clear to me that I wanted to dedicate myself to something that would develop my creativity. In high school I started to study Fashion Design on the weekends and it made me decide to study a university career and dedicate the rest of my life to my great passion.
How would you define the woman who wears Poète pieces?
In Poéte we sell a style, if you like it no matter what age or type of woman you are. We are not looking for a specific client, we are looking for a client who likes our style and feels identified.
You told me that you wanted to go back to the origins of Poète, what is the idea?
Poéte was born with a very clear concept of femininity, romanticism with a Parisian air and that is what we want to return to.
It’s almost spring, and you have a new collection, what was your inspiration when designing the new spring/summer 2021 collection?
SS21 is a collection inspired by the countryside, nature and the desire for freedom. I started designing it in the middle of the pandemic after the confinement and I thought about what I needed most at that moment.
What are the key fabrics and materials you use?
Cotton, gauze, denim and lace are the materials of this collection.
As for prints, plaids, stripes and micro-floral prints in mustard, blue, pink and red colors.
What is the most important sales strategy for the new collection?
With SS21 we want to get back to rescue our origin and that all the concept that we have been working on reaches our customers getting again a good positioning in the market.
We have also placed special emphasis on the quality of our products, improving all the quality controls and making the productions in Portugal and Spain.
What advice can you give to someone who dreams of becoming a fashion designer?
Being a designer is not only a job but a way of life, at the end of the day you work 24/7, anything you perceive, read, look at, anything that happens to you can be key in your work.
As my father told me “there is no better satisfaction that your work is your hobby, do what you like but always try to be the best at what you do”.
After a year at the helm of Poète, what is your assessment?
It has been a very complicated year both internally in the firm and globally. For me it has been a challenge on a daily basis, I have had to face things that professionally had never happened to me before, but the truth is that I have learned a lot and I have realized that at the end, even if you think it is impossible, everything works out.
What would you say to all the team that works with you after a difficult year in fashion?
This year the team has suffered a lot and we have all had to change our way of working, but we have shown that thanks to the effort and help we have given each other, we have managed to get everything right.
