Inés Aguilar
At LA CASITA DE WENDY studio in Madrid, Spain.
Inés lives somewhere between the worlds of reality and imagination, as she invokes magical creatures and dreamy landscapes into her daily life. Her profession as a fashion designer has allowed her to explore creativity with total freedom of imagination, only constrained by the rhythm of the fashion seasons. All the while, the company fulfills a market appetite for its products, and an ever growing demand.
A look into her designs recalls an incredible journey that goes back almost 10 years, when she started La Casita de Wendy, along her friend Iván, while still in architecture school. At a very early stage, the brand caught the attention of iconic singer, Björk. The pair were able to get a dress to her at the Benicassim Music Festival (FIB), where they were premiering their collection, and the artist was performing. With barely a tag and without even an introductory note, Björk appeared unannounced in that same dress on the cover of Wire magazine months later. Since then, the demand for their brand has grown exponentially, graced by that luck that only favors the talented and the brave.
When you examine their vision more closely, you are pleasantly surprised by how much they care about sustainability. Both in their production methods and their growth plans, they remain realistic and true to their original instincts. Not wanting to grow too quickly, they make choices to reduce the environmental impact during manufacture. Somehow they also revitalize the craftsmanship of small ateliers around Europe and collaborate with other artists to create the collections.
Having tea with Inés in her light-filled studio is a treat for me. Over the years, I have followed her through La Casita de Wendy collections and her candid blog, reading stories of her creative journey, motherhood, and her keen connection to nature. Inés has a genuine smile, and a light in her eyes that rekindles my faith in the potential of small businesses, and the meaning of truly sustainable enterprises.
