Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Posted by
senseofashion
Rödel Latin America got their first major break in Brazil after participating in a knitwear competition. Helen Rodel: “I became fascinated by the seemingly infinite possibilities of rectangular knit, which strangely enough weren’t explored much in the mainstream fashion industry.” The brand’s initial focus on this kind on knitwear awarded them an entry into commercial applications: two of their rectangular knit designs won the Bazar de Talentos 2006 fashion design competition at Mix Bazaar - the biggest fair of its kind in the south of the country, which is held annually in Porto Alegre.
Rodel was then founded by the now 24 year old Helen Rödel and 26 year old Guilherme Thofehrn (she’s the creative force, he’s in charge of administration) both from Rio Grande do Sul. Helen was actually a literature and advertising major in college, but she also took a few courses in fashion design. While doing so she realized that for her, fashion was the perfect medium to communicate her creative vision.
Reading the Rodel press release, and interviewing her, conveys two sides of her creative personality which are both evident in her work: maturity and playfulness. “I design for an individual whose style will pass freely between the urban and rural environments”, she says.
When asked about her hopes and dreams for the future she says musingly: “Meeting people with a universe in their mouth and love in their heads. We want to be happy as much as possible, while knowing how to stay sad, and to accept the constant search for conceptual clothes, because our goal is to convey a visual representation of our never-ending journey.”
Rodel’s fun online store and blog
www.rodel-la.com
Buy Rodel online – Outside Brazil, write to
info@rodel-la.com
Contact Helen
helen@rodel-la.com
Contact Guilherme
guilherme@rodel-la.com
Helen’s fave artists
http://www.bartschi.ch/ggb.php?opt=work&aid=76
http://www.furious.com/Perfect/bangseno.html
http://www.felipeoliveirabaptista.com/
http://www.marjanpejoski.com/
http://www.michelgondry.com/
