The formula for success of Gala González, the first Spanish blogger to have international repercussions, is the same one that serves as a daily stimulus for self-improvement. As the wise men of psychology say, the purpose of life is a life with purpose, and for this Galician with a British spirit, effort and sacrifice have been the two mantras to achieve her great dream.
A lesson he learned from his uncle, the designer Adolfo DomÃnguez. “He gave me the opportunity to work with him, but he didn’t give me more tools, and that made me put the batteries to show that I was capable of holding out in that position.”
He did not want to teach him the formula for success because, as González says, “in life there are no valid shortcuts.” He has now just returned to Spain after living 17 years in London, a city that forced him to leave his comfort zone and jump into the maelstrom called the fashion industry.
How did you experience the jump from Galicia to the British capital?
It was the first place where I felt a real democracy, that women had a voice and a vote and that I was seen as an equal. The man sees her as powerful or more powerful than him and that was something that he had never experienced in Spain, neither at work nor personally. In London, the fashion sector is very strong, they have some of the best universities in the world and it is an incredible place to grow and develop.
What do we have to learn from the English?
To believe more in ourselves. It is something that they have deeply rooted in their culture and they keep it very much in mind. I don’t feel that Spain is a country united at heart. We are experiencing the consequences of a Franco regime that perhaps we do not feel is latent in our generation, but our parents have been educated under a dictatorship and I believe that we still have to feel more united, to love each other more as a country.
How do you perceive the Spain brand?
Made in Spain seems very strong to me. What led me to promote my own brand, Amlul, was because I saw the potential it had outside our borders. Foreigners who consume Spanish fashion see it as an investment and in our own house we still do not find out why this higher price exists. When you buy a garment produced in Spain, you are contributing to creating local jobs and the country’s own wealth. We have excellent raw materials and fantastic artisans, and you have to pay fair prices. A dress that claims to be sustainable is physically and materially impossible to cost sixty euros.
So, what is missing to be more competitive?
Nothing. What we need is more purchasing power and that starts with higher wages. When a country has the possibility of investing, taking care of itself and pampering itself, as happens in France or England, this does not happen. A dress made in Spain, as is the case with my brand, does not go below three hundred euros. And if we compare it with firms like Sandro or ba
She is recognized for being one of the first Spanish fashion bloggers to achieve international fame. How do you see the new generations?
I think young people have a lot more information and tools than we did, but that can be a double-edged sword. When you have too much at your fingertips, it can generate the opposite effect, that you make less effort because you have it at the click of a button. I perceive a great disparity. Very bright young people who use these tools to benefit themselves, and they give us a thousand times, and others who are not taking advantage of the full potential they would have. The culture of effort and sacrifice is something that should never be lost and is part of the formula for success in life.
They are the ones who now take it as a reference. Who were yours?
There are women I admire because I am fascinated by what they convey on an aesthetic level, such as the model Christy Turlington or the actress Jennifer Connelly, always so elegant at any age. I like what they transmit with their natural beauty, but not because they dedicate all their time and effort to dress super cool, but because they have understood what this issue is about.
And what is this matter about?
Style is a matter of visual composition, a combination between the harmony of the silhouettes, volumes and shapes with the safety and comfort that those garments bring you. I always encourage those around me not to follow trends to the letter. Each one has to understand what her body is like, what favors her, and based on that build the wardrobe. When I see someone I consider stylish it’s because that person has understood how her anatomy works. When you see someone flowing, be it in the street or on a catwalk… that’s where the magic is.
