Growing up in Galicia, Jorge Vázquez always knew that he wanted to design clothes. The influence of “Green Spain” is evident in the lushly patterned floral fabrics he chooses for his ready-to-wear and couture lines, and it also flourishes on a limited-edition wine label he created for Bodegas Mar de Frades in Rías Baixas.
Following in the footsteps of fashion designer Miguel Palacio, the design team Alvarno, and model and jewelry designer Laura Ponte, Vázquez was chosen by Mar de Frades to create a label for the winery’s 2014 Albariño.
“The North has always been a great inspiration for me,” says Vázquez. “In all my collections, there is a hint of Galicia, its scenery, its way of life—it is part of my work.”
Vázquez dressed the easily recognizable blue bottle in hydrangeas, explaining, “the inspiration is Galicia and its typical flower.” Fans of his work will find the bright pink floral pattern repeated on dresses, skirts and pants available at Spanish department store El Corte Inglés this summer.
“In all my collections, there is a hint of Galicia, its scenery, its way of life.”
After studying design in Madrid and the U.S., Vázquez designed collections for well-known Spanish labels like Zara, Loewe and Ángel Schlesser. In 2002, he started his design firm, now called JV by Jorge Vázquez. Besides his own labels for women, he’s also the creative force behind the Síntesis collection for El Corte Inglés.
A prominent fixture at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid since 2002, Vázquez received the L’Oréal Award for best collection and best young designer for his Spring 2005 collection.
One of his favorite Spanish cities for eating is A Coruña. Vázquez enjoys the fresh shellfish as well as hake or turbot in the Galician style, with potatoes and paprika, always accompanied by “a good Albariño, without a doubt,” he says.
When not working in Madrid, the designer retreats to his 300-year-old stone house in Galicia.
“It brings a lot of peace to me,” he says. “It is very simple and filled with memories and pieces that belonged to the house. It is my retreat where I can escape and relax whenever I can.”
Published: May 25, 2016
