Recently I did an interview with Sofia Calvo, the editor of the Chilean design and fashion blog Quinta Trends. The interview was posted in Spanish for her readers so I thought it would be nice to post the English translation here for all of the non Spanish speakers to enjoy. I shared some interesting things about myself and LAMA that I haven’t really shared before so hopefully you’ll learn a little something about LAMA that you may not have known. Enjoy!

Q: When and why was LAMA born?

A: LAMA was born in July 2008. I have known for a long time that I wanted to have my own business. I grew up very independent so naturally, as an independent person, I didn’t enjoy working for someone else. After graduating from art school and working as an interior design consultant for over a year, I decided to go my own way.

Q: How would you describe the purpose of your store?

A: Originally, the idea behind LAMA was to design and start my own line of pillows, throws, rugs and other textile products that I wanted to have produced in Ecuador which is where my family is from. Unfortunately I had some manufacturing problems and decided to travel from Quito to Cuenca for a short vacation from my problems. While I was there, I discovered the studio of ceramic artist Eduardo Vega. I thought about what a shame it was that beautiful work like his wasn’t seen more in the US. I realized what my purpose and the purpose of LAMA was on that trip. I wanted LAMA to be a store where Latino artists and designers could showcase their work and sell their products to a US audience. Maybe someday I will design my own products too but for now, I have to say it is much more rewarding to share the beautiful work of others.

Q: What is the criteria used to select the artists/designers in LAMA?

A: My criteria for selecting products is simple. Is it something I love? Would I want this for myself? Is it well made? Will my customers love this too? If the answers to these questions are “Yes,” then I do my best to make room for that artists work in my store. It’s very helpful when designers have websites that are easy to navigate and let me see the range of their products. If not, I also like when I’m presented with clear photos, detailed descriptions and price lists. I find that the more professional and organized a designer is, the easier they are going to be to work with. Because I have to import everything, this is very important. Lastly, I always love to hear about the designers behind the products. I find these stories so compelling and inspiring and it’s wonderful to be able to pass these stories along to my customers.

Q: How do you categorize the evolution of Latin American design? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the design?

A: I haven’t been following Latin American design for a long time but from what I have seen in the past few years, I’m seeing a lot of influences coming in from other countries, particularly the Scandinavian countries and Japan. I love to see this new blend of cultures happening in design. Now that we are all becoming so connected to one another through social networking sites and blogs, we can’t help but to be influenced by each other. I think it’s a wonderful thing because everyone has a unique way of interpreting another countries design esthetic. It’s also great to see a larger emergence of independent artist scenes that revolve around craft and handmade products. It seems that these communities are getting larger and supporting one another a lot more. There is always strength in numbers. I hope to see these communities continue to work hard to promote their work and the work of others. It’s difficult to answer the question regarding “the weaknesses.” I would like to see more designers and artists putting themselves on the web and more blogs dedicated to promoting Latino designers. I hope to see the voice behind the Latin American design scene become stronger.

Q: Do you have a brand name or a Latin American designer that keeps you awake? Why?

A: I have so many Latin American designers and companies that captivate me! Too many to mention! A few of my favorites are Lola Goldstein, Calu Fontes, Karen Barbe, Tanya Aguiniga, and Valeria Pesqueira. Each one of these designers work really speaks to an aspect of my own personal style. Their work is unique, creative and inspired. Everything I would aspire to be as a designer myself.

Q: How do you imagine the future of LAMA?

A: The future of LAMA is so exciting to think about. It’s actually something I am working very hard on right now. At the moment, LAMA is so limited as to how many artists and designers I can carry at one time. This is very difficult for me because there are so many beautiful products being created in Latin America that I want to be able to promote and sell through my site. I hope to see LAMA as a larger marketplace in the future where more and more Latino designers can sell their products and tell their stories. I want to create an even larger bridge between independent Latino designers and American customers.

Thank you Sofia for the interview! To check out the interview in Spanish, click here.