Do What You Love Interview – Catalina Guirado

Catalina is a half Spanish/British designer and model. She describes herself as “an art, fashion, gypset, rock n roll, horse obsessed, animal loving, champagne darling!”

1. How are you leading a life ‘doing what you love’?

Before I became a model and TV host I actually studied art and textile design. I grew up surrounded by art and attended gallery openings since I was a baby, as my father was an artist. Since his sad death, my life has come full circle and I have returned to what I originally loved and have always wanted to do. I love fashion and design and the creativity of my life. I am extremely grateful that I am able to do this and mean to excel!

2. What did you do before this?

I started modelling at 15. I was obsessed by fashion, photography and glamour. I was a working fashion model for years and lived all over the world. Modelling meant I could choose where I wanted to visit and then live there for a while as I was successful enough to always be working.

I was interested in the music industry too and was about to change direction when I landed the role of Chris Evans’ sidekick ‘Gorgeous Girl’ on the 90s cult TV show TFI Friday. My life changed pretty much overnight with no warning. I suddenly became a ‘celebrity model’ which meant that I didn’t get booked so much for high end fashion shoots but as a ‘personality’. The good news was that my day rate went up to thousands of pounds a day!

I then started hosting TV shows and doing guest appearances as well as being one of the first to do reality TV. I was part of the whole ’90’s Cool Britannia’ scene and was friends with the likes of the Prodigy, Oasis, Republica, All Saints and TV stars like Sara Cox and Donna Air. Fun times!

I moved to LA in 2001 and was signed to Universal Music publishing for 5 years. I then got a job in A&R and was one of the founding directors of a music web TV site called LP33.tv that promoted emerging artists very much like MTV and VH1 back when they had music. It was there I learnt to become a businesswoman as I was the head of artists and media development and ran the department as well as writing and presenting some of the music TV shows we produced. That was super fun too as I had the creative freedom to interview the bands I loved, how I wanted. Unfortunately the market crash brought an end to that so I ran my own boutique PR company Brit Chicks PR for a year or so representing photographers, directors and bands and producing events until my father got sick and I had to return to Europe for a while. That’s when I threw myself back into art.

3. Can you describe the influence your father has had on your career?

My father had no influence in my early career and actually didn’t like the fact I was a model. He was really annoyed my mother had let me become one. I had been a bit of a genius violinist and played the Royal Albert Hall when I as 12 so he felt, as did my mother, that was what I should do. But I was absolutely sick of playing the violin and after a stint at the Guildhall of Music, I decided modelling was far more fun! Now I have come full circle and am back working as an artist, it’s lovely as I now I feel I am working with him in spirit.

4. Since establishing Guirado Design what is the biggest challenge you have encountered and how did you over come it?

We are still so early in the development that I think we are still on a major learning curve! My initial challenge was finding the right scarf production company to work with. It’s really hard to find a good silk HD printing company but on top of that you then have to source cutters etc. I insist on hand-rolled hems as they are a sign of class and quality. Believe me, finding somewhere that does this well was not easy. We have now found a great one-stop-shop partner but still encounter problems with sizing and delivery dates. It never seems to end… I’ve just decided to go with the flow as sometimes there is absolutely nothing that can be done.

5. Could you explain a little about the ‘Gypset’ lifestyle and it’s relevance in your life today? 

Basically ‘Gypset’ is the fusion of the unconventional, bohemian approach to life and carefree lifestyle of a gypsy mixed with the sophistication of the jet set characterised by a fashionable exoticism and down to earth ease. To quote Julia Chaplin,

“those who are defining the Gypset aesthetic are artists, fashion designers, photographers, musicians, and surfers whose work is based on their lifestyle and whose lifestyle is based on their work.” Gypsetters,” she says, “are freethinkers who have made the choice to set themselves up far away – even if it’s only for part of the year – proposing an alternative solution to life.”

My parents were very much part of the initial bohemian movement and emigrated to Australia in the 60s. My father continued to move around Spain, settling in Lanzarote for a time and visiting his gurus in India and Marrakech, then settling in Mojacar in Almeria. I guess I am a bit of a gypsy too as I have never settled anywhere, using modelling to live in more than 10 countries, staying in each until I felt I was ready to leave. I have tried to leave LA several times, returning to the UK for work, but I always return.

My husband is a musician and our place in the hills is a hub of constant artistic creativity. California is my spiritual home. I love the freedom here, though I love my adventures back to London and Spain. Each trip I take has a reason and results in a wonderful experience.

6. Can you tell us how you use your father’s artwork to create new products for a contemporary market? What gave you the idea to do this?

I wanted to introduce my father’s art to a new audience as many of his fans and collectors are older or have passed away. I needed a way to re-introduce his name and make it relevant to people. It is a growing trend to merge art and design with many of the top fashion and interior designers collaborating. In fact it seems my instincts are spot on as the SS14 fashion shows were filled with major art influences in fabric, colours and styles. It is the biggest story of the season as art and fashion merge.

My talent is seeing things from another perspective and thinking ‘out of the box’. I love painting and drawing and have a talent for it but nothing like my father’s visionary style and work. I have a natural eye for looking at an object and seeing design potential for it. I also have a good eye for commercial value, and chose the paintings to be used for Guirado Design based on their aesthetic qualities and spiritual nature.

I call the paintings ‘The Enlightened’ series as the paintings used for the designs are Enlightenment, Spirits, Apocalypse, Ectoplasm and Angels. There is also a beautiful collectable series of eleven paintings, Flores del Futuro, from which I am releasing one HD reproduction on silk twill per year as a limited edition. All the HD exact prints of the artwork are limited edition, as they can be framed as prints for the wall. We only have 30 printed at a time so when those are sold that is that! My personal designs use repeat and seasonal colour trends that are available through out the year. I will also be developing bespoke wallpaper and luxury resort/beachwear. I am really excited to form collaborations with designers as I am such lover of fashion and design. In fact British furniture house Tree Couture and I are collaborating at the moment on a room screen. Its simply stunning!

I started to develop the scarves idea in 2011 after someone mentioned to me that a lot of artists were putting their art on scarves. As I had a background in textile design, I thought this might be an interesting way to promote the art, selling silk prints to people who couldn’t afford the actual paintings and make some money.

I had some samples made in Los Angeles, got my friend to shoot them on me, wrote my own press releases and promoted them as ‘Wearable Art’. At this point I was just using HD prints of the original paintings “Apocalypse’ and “Enlightenment’. Now I am able to really develop and design textiles in my own right using the original art work as a starting point. I am really excited by all the possibilities and directions we can go. I am presenting my AW14 designs during London Fashion Week. These are cashmere/silk mix long scarves for both men and women featuring the skull design from the ‘Apocalypse’ painting.

8. You split your time between London and Los Angeles. Do both places inspire your creativity differently and if so why do you think that is?

I love London for the people, the British humour, style, culture, music, summer festivals, art and architecture and believe there is nowhere more beautiful in the Summer than the English countryside. I feel very lucky that I am able to live my PERFECT life of travelling between the two and now also Spain, which I have rediscovered my passion for.

I have such a hectic, glamorous time when I am in London as there is so much to get done with meetings as well as attending amazing parties and events, catching up with friends and looking after my Mum. I am exhausted when I leave and am really relieved to return to LA to re energise myself.

I feel I am free in California and can be who I truly am with no preconceptions as no-one knows me from modelling or TV. I love the positive attitude they have here, believing that anything is achievable. People encourage you to reach for the stars. I think this has let me become hugely creative again and allows me to work in creative fields that I may not have ever done in London where I felt stunted by the pressure of celebrity.

I paint and draw here and come up with ideas for new designs and directions as well as connecting with my team daily and discussing any things that need to be done. I attend a lot of art events at stunning homes in the Hollywood hills and get to make some great connections. The sunny climate is perfect for the scarves and potentially the resort/beachwear. Los Angeles has a very boho style which is perfect for Guirado Design scarves and also the resort/beachwear. The artwork lends itself to this climate which makes perfect sense as California is so similar to Andalusia, where my Father was from.

I am lucky enough to have two horses and spend my afternoons riding once I have finished with any work. Horses are my absolute passion in life and I recently got a PRE horse (Andalusian pure bred) to train in Classical dressage (like the Spanish school in Vienna). He is from Spain and is called Jarabeño. He is my muse for Guirado Design. Hermes may have their black horse, but I have a pure white one! I am so grateful and thankful to be in the position of living the best of both worlds.

9. What is the best advice you have received?

To be gracious and thankful. My Mum told me when I started to get successful in TV to always be kind to those I work with, as those that you meet on the way up the ladder, you meet on the way down too! I paid attention. Everyone I knew back then is hugely successful now and I can usually ask for a favour when needed.

10. What do you think the key is to following and fulfilling a passion and ultimately ‘doing what you love’?

I believe you can only be truly successful if you are 100% passionate about what you do. It has to come from your heart and soul and it is that drive/energy that makes you succeed.

I have done jobs that I truly loved and had a passion for but the moment I fell out of love with them, they started to disintegrate and then end. I’ve created my own reality and made up jobs to simply survive. They never lasted. That’s why I think if you are doing something purely and simply for the love of what you are doing and have a strong drive and focus, amazing things can happen. It’s the law of the universe and physics!

To find out more about Catalina and her art you can visit her website and follow her on Facebook and/or Twitter.