Today is 8th of March. International Women's Day. It is also one year ago today that Virago Barcelona was launched. Since then, Virago has aimed to define a strong woman through each design, a self-confident woman who likes to take advantage of any situation to make herself heard. We know that there is still a long way to go to change the rules of the game, but why not learn to play by them?
Virago Barcelona: Hello, Sandra. What can I tell you, if in fact you've known Virago Barcelona since its earliest stages. Who would have thought that as colleagues in Business Administration, our connection in the future would be through art, design and creativity in general, but within a company?
Sandra Modrego: Yes, business can be a meeting place for creativity. I hope that in the future companies will devote more resources to design, innovation and art in general.
VB: First of all, the question we always ask our #viragomuse: What song do we play on Spotify to read your interview?
SM: I'd start with Just like heaven by The Cure and if you want to continue, I'll leave you with the Spotify playlist I put on to create: "Sandra Modrego et Le Corps".
VB: To put the readers in perspective when I say that you were one of the first people I told about the idea I had for Virago Barcelona: you designed Virago's eyes. And I couldn't have been more successful to count on you to design the brand's logo. In your art you have always sought to break with the stereotypes of feminine beauty that have been ingrained in our society for so many years. How did you start? What was your inspiration?
SM: Thank you Inés, it was a pleasure to live this project from the beginning.
My great inspiration is my family and the values they have passed on to me. At home, my mother and my grandmother have been a great reference for me: independent women, with their own character and voice, very empowered. They taught me that the most important thing is to put values at the centre of what you do.
So I think Le Corps came about in a completely natural way: a space in which to defend the intrinsic beauty of each body, to stand up for freedom and respect, to live with love.
"At home, my mother and my grandmother have been a great reference for me: independent women, with their own character and voice, very empowered. They taught me that the most important thing is to put values at the centre of what you do."
VB: When we design our garments, we love to stop and think about what they are going to transmit, through their colours, prints or silhouettes. I imagine the same thing happens to you with your paintings, doesn't it? There are a thousand ways of expressing ourselves through art. What is it that you want to express through your strokes? Explain to us a little about what your art claims.
SM: Le Corps speaks of the beauty that lies in the uniqueness of each being. To express this uniqueness, I move between the perfection of the flat textures of the paint and the imperfection of the strokes. The colours express emotions and states through which I travel when I create.
VB: Virago Barcelona wants to transmit rebellion, it talks about a strong, empowered woman who will do whatever she can to make herself heard. What relationship do you think there is between our values and your art?
SM: I think the relationship is in its essence, we seek to promote values of change that make us live in a freer, more empathetic society that values the authenticity of every being.
VB: When I contacted you to draw Virago's logo, we "clicked" very quickly. We wanted to convey playfulness but at the same time elegance, to define a hard-working, sensual woman with a cool and extravagant style. How did you come up with the idea of drawing a look?
SM: I like to look at people in the eyes, I think the gaze conveys everything. With this logo I wanted to talk about a direct, confident, authentic and extravagant woman who communicates and achieves everything she sets out to do with a single glance.
VB: How do you think society is progressing in terms of female stereotypes, and do you think that one day we will be able to say that we have managed to break them?
SM: Society is evolving very quickly and I am sure we will make progress towards a fairer and more equal world for everyone.
VB: It is still very common for women to be dissatisfied with their own bodies. It is indisputable that the fashion industry and the way it communicates are largely to blame. But what role do you think art plays here, and can it be part of the solution to this problem?
SM: Fashion and also art have a responsibility to offer a space for expression, reflection and dialogue that allows us to live with more love and respect for our bodies.
VB: We always talk to women who, for some reason, we believe defend Virago's philosophy. What do you think you have of Virago, or rather, what do your paintings have of Virago?
SM: Freedom and uniqueness.
VB: And, before we finish, if you had to define yourself in one of our designs, it would be...
SM: ...I love the Wifey dress flowers, it's like something to be framed.
VB: When is Sandra Modrego x Virago Barcelona coming? There's more than one fan wanting to see your art on her clothes, at her home...
SM: Soon :)
