Today, we here at So Catchy! Where Fashion Begins have the pleasure and honour to bring to you Rosa Calderón’s newest project, a collection of artisanal bags, 100% made in and inspired by Andalusia in southern Spain.

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Rosa Calderón knows that accessories can make or break any outfit and she kept this in mind when she came up with MARE, designed for any well-dressed, elegant and cosmopolitan woman. The line of bags adapts to the tastes and needs of any woman as one of Rosa’s key principles is the personalization of her designs according to her client’s needs. We’ll leave you with the interview that she gave us recently and a piece of advice, keep an eye on Rosa, she’s going places.

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SO CATCHY!: Rosa, tell us a bit about your background in the world of design.

ROSA CALDERÓN: My background in design, ugh. Well, I guess it began when I was very young; I always looked up to my mother and my aunt. My mother had style and was very elegant, I’ll never forget the way she carried herself and her excellent taste in clothes. And my aunt was a professional in the world of fashion, she was old school and you won’t find many people like her today. I grew up surrounded by fabric and design all my life, I even designed clothes for my dolls and made sure that they were always impeccably dressed. There are a lot of memories but I didn’t decided to study design until after I’d finished a university career in environmental science. That year, I decided to dedicate my efforts to my dream, to study design. I designed my first collection and it was well received but it took a few years to learn about the field and to be able to acquire all of the knowledge I needed from the many great professionals that I worked with. Now, I’m presenting my creativity with ‘Mare’, which is why we’re here today.

SC!: How did Mare by Rosa Calderón come about?

RC: ‘Mare’…. for me it’s about feeling, work, consistency, effort and dreams. It started as a small project more than a year ago. I always knew that it would be homage to the person who I loved most and who helped my most, my mother. A bag can tell you a lot about the woman who carries it. Mare came from the idea that women should have design and quality above all else but was developed with inspiration from Seville; walking the streets in the center, going to the street markets, spending time with friends. One of them, Lourdes Rodríguez, supported me and believed in me throughout the project and I’ll always be thankful to her.

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SC!: Why did you decide to produce the line in Andalusia?

RC: Where else would I do it? And what better place than Ubrique is there for high quality, handmade leather bags. The bags are inspired by Andalusian balconies from the metalworking shops in Seville. I also had help from ‘Tecnocorte’ who believed in the project and worked patiently with me.

SC!: This capsule collection is a limited edition, do you think you’ll come out with more colours or do you have any other plans?

RC!: The collection is completely personalized. I designed a bag in three sizes and three colours but there is a menu that women can choose the design, size and colours from according to their needs or desires, which is also important. As for plans, I’ve already started thinking about the next project, so…

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SC!: What do you want to express with your designs?

RC: I’d like the women who buy these bags to think feel that they are acquiring a something that is high quality, exclusive and designer. These are the three fundamental characteristics that I had in mind when I was designing the bags.

SC!: What kind of women wear your bags?

RC: The women who carry my bags are hard-working, well-dressed, sophisticated and they look for the most exclusive accessories. The final result of the bag depends a lot on the style of the individual who carries it, since it goes well in casual or formal situations.

The bags are unique pieces but the end result depends on each woman.

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SC!: Where can we find your bags?

RC: We’ll be selling the bags in a shop in Madrid but we haven’t officially made the announcement, yet. We’ll tell you soon.

SC!: Are there any creative talents who inspire you?

RC: The maestro, Balenciaga, for me, he’s the architect of fashion and simply the best. Some current designers who I like are Marni, Dries Van Noten, Balmain, Missoni…

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SC!: A dream that you’ve yet to accomplish but would love to in the future?

RC: I’m currently working on my dream, trying to live from fashion. To be a recognized designer and, above all, to be happy doing what I like, designing.

Credits

Photography: Adrián de Gómez

Make-up / Hair: Cristina Diaz-Jargüín

Styling: Cristina Diaz-Jargüin & Rosa Calderón

Models: Lola Zapata

Translation and Layout by Michael Padilla