By Stefanía Musso | LVSJ

-When did you discover that your thing was clothing design?

When I lived in Freyre I grew up with my grandmother. She took charge of taking care of me when my parents worked and she loved to fix clothes. She had an arsenal of threads, buttons, fabrics, wool and I was a very active girl, she told me to help her sort the threads, buttons and everything she used.

Over time, she taught me to sew, knit and everything related to the world of sewing. That was all I absorbed in my childhood. I liked buying clothes and having someone transform them for me. I liked accounting but also traveling, the world of colors and art, so at 17 I told my parents that I was going to study clothing design, but it seemed strange to them because it was not common in the city and it was an unknown world. They were not very satisfied, but then they gave me everything to make it possible.

- Where did you study and what was it like to take your first step as an independent designer?

I studied three years in Córdoba and two in Buenos Aires at the University of Palermo, which amazed me. Buenos Aires was key to realizing that it was mine, that it was the world of dreams that I wanted to live. Then I traveled for a year to New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia. By 2014 the moment of truth arrived, to work. Although I have been with the brand for seven years, I have never worked for another to gain experience. Everything in my way was yes to lung, everything to trial and error; and when you push and push, you make it. Today I am selling throughout the country. My travels taught me that you are someone very small in the world who can do great things.

Cintia Urquiza's shirts. "I am classic but at the same time I put color, tables, design. Mine are flights and prints," said the designer.

- What is the biggest challenge of designing and creating clothes for women?

It is to follow what is used but have your own brand identity, that is, that people recognize yours. You're never going to get everyone to like what you do. I am classic but at the same time I put color, tables, design. Mine are flights and prints. The most difficult thing is knowing what audience to target and what to do.

Claudia "Tata" Villafañe in a Cintia Urquiza dress.

A registered trademark

- What is the concept that you work on in your garments?

I love tops. It is to see a person and say 'Wow' to what they have on top, even if you have something simple on the bottom. Today I design everything uppermost and seek to include all people in my sizes.

- How do we recognize a Cintia Urquiza garment?

In the detail, in the ruffle, in the button, that the garment is well made and distinguished.

Cintia's workshop works in the city of Córdoba.

- Do you have a new collection?

Today I don't like to make collections, I'm timeless. I do until it runs out and no more. One of my inspirational brands is Zara and I try to do like them, so that a garment can continue to be used even though time passes- I want my clients to be able to wear my shirts for as long as they want.

- Your big leap was when Claudia "Tata" Villafañe (Diego Armando Maradona's ex-wife) visited your clothes in Masterchef. How did you get to her?

Her hairdresser contacted me. She told me that she really liked my shirts and I immediately gave her my contact. When we talked, she told me that she was the coiffeur for PíaShaw, Juliana Awada and Diego Armando Maradona's ex-wife and that both Pía and Claudia agreed to wear my clothes. At that time I sent five shirts; two for the hairdresser, one for Claudia, one for Pía and another for her clients. The shirt Claudia chose is the white one she wore at Diego Maradona's wake.

Then, the hairdresser told me that Claudia liked many of my shirts and I sent her 7. Later, the contact was with Claudia directly and she herself asked me for the dress she wore in the reality show Masterchef.

In the world of fashion, it often happens that a designer pays an influencer to wear your garment, but in my case, I gave her the garments as a gift and she advertised it. A dress of mine that I wear was a success.

- Which woman do you dream of dressing?

I don't dream of big things and I enjoy everything I achieve. I don't have ideals or a goal because life surprises me as happened with Claudia. This is how I am at all points in my life.

"I don't dream of big things and I enjoy everything I achieve," said Cintia Urquiza.

From the inside

- What role does your family have in your personal and professional growth?

They always emphasized to me that everything is achieved with effort, that you have to have perseverance, desire and love. My mom gave me patience and told me that there were going to be difficult days and that I was going to feel like giving up everything, my dad guided me in business; my brother in logistics, and my grandmother is the soul of this.

- What is the value of being in a store in San Francisco for you?

I really like selling here because my dad was born in the city. I started making a brand without too many tools, it was quite a discovery. I started showing the clothes town by town and people bought from me. Today it's the other way around, the locals contact me and that happened with Zingara. It is an honor that Gloria and Florencia have contacted me and have my designs in their store.

- Who is Cintia Urquiza?

It's a brand but it's also my name. We are two.

Ping Pong to Cintia Urquiza

- What items cannot be missing in a wardrobe?

A shirt and a blouse, obviously.

- What colors should we have for this season?

There is no color but when choosing it it has to be the one that looks best on the face.

- What is your fetish color? Because?

I chose Benetton green five years ago and it's still a trend. White is also a chosen one. I chose green for my quinceanera dress. It is the color of freedom, of nature, of enjoying. It is the one that most identifies me.

- Shirt, with or without ruffles?

Flights and is what sells the most.