In a world where fashion often treads a fine line between creativity and conformity, ROD ALMAYATE emerges as a breath of fresh air. Founded by the dynamic duo Diego Diaz Marin and Roberto Ferlito, ROD ALMAYATE is more than just a jewelry brand; it’s a manifesto of irreverence, creativity, and unapologetic individuality.
INTERVIEWS
With a commitment to the revered Made in Italy tradition and a bold stance against the conventional fashion system, the brand has quickly become a favorite among celebrities like Queen Letizia of Spain, Lady Gaga, and Celine Dion. DSCENE Magazine Editor Katarina Doric sits down with the founders to talks about the world of ROD ALMAYATE, exploring their journey, vision, and the unique ethos that sets their brand apart in the bustling world of fashion.
Diego and Roberto, your brand ROD ALMAYATE has been making waves in the fashion industry with its unique approach. Can you share with us the initial inspiration behind founding ROD Almayate and how you envision its future in the world of fashion? – Our initial inspiration is to seek beauty in everyday life and in the politically incorrect. We love transforming objects that come from a more vulgar nature into something sophisticated, such as a cigarette butt or nail clippers.
We envision a future that can continue to be true to our creativity, remaining in our hands. We don’t want to fall into the hands of fashion driven by marketing, as we don’t want to lose our creative freedom.
Your commitment to the ‘Made in Italy’ concept is evident in your work. How do you balance this tradition with the innovative and irreverent style that ROD ALMAYATE is known for? – For us, the craftsmanship of our artisans in Italy is crucial. We are fortunate to have the hands that create jewelry for the most important and famous brands in the world.
Sometimes when we send them the designs, they used to blush, but we’ve been working together for over 15 years now. They are accustomed to us and expect anything from us, hehe….
As co-creative directors, how do you blend your individual artistic visions and inspirations into a cohesive collection? What is your process for working together on a new design or collection? – We are a couple and work together, live together, and have been together for over 15 years. So, the entire creative process happens at home in a very organic and natural way.
The best ideas come very naturally, and we believe that’s what makes it authentic—more than in a business meeting.
We don’t want to fall into the hands of fashion driven by marketing, as we don’t want to lose our creative freedom.
ROD ALMAYATE aims to disrupt the current fashion system, prioritizing originality, passion, and freedom. How do you see this philosophy fitting into the rapidly changing landscape of fashion, especially with the rise of digital marketing and e-commerce? – ROD ALMAYATE has emerged for us as a solution to be creative without being subjected to the fashion system. We have lived in Italy and within the high fashion circuit for many years.
But there came a moment when we were very unhappy with that life, and we decided to break free from it all and come to live by the beach in Spain. We were very tired of the pace of producing so many collections in a year. That’s why at ROD ALMAYATE, we don’t follow the fashion calendar’s rhythm. We only introduce new pieces when we are sure they meet the brand’s standards, and we genuinely love them. Not just because we have to release something new every three months, as the fashion industry demands today.
With high-profile figures like Queen Letizia of Spain and Lady Gaga among your clients, how do you think celebrity endorsements have shaped the perception of the brand? – For us, one of the figures that changed everything has been Queen Letizia of Spain because, initially, many people on Instagram were offended and insulted us for our designs. But when the Queen has arrived ,everything was changed in our lives, Especially because of the meaning of the day when the Queen wore ROD ALMAYATE.
During the years of COVID, Her Majesty never wore any new outfits to show solidarity with the people, and the first time she introduced a new garment, as a symbol of freedom and that everything was over, it was our earrings. That gesture turned into a sensation and gave us a lot of credibility, leading to a radical change in everything.
But something I love is that just a week later, the ELITE series on Netflix premiered with our jewelry. I really love that our brand can be worn by such a serious institution as the Queen or Celine Dion, as well as by young and irreverent people like in Elite or Lady Gaga.
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Could you describe the process of selecting materials and artisans for your pieces? How important is this hand-finished craftsmanship to the identity of ROD ALMAYATE? – We have been working with the same artisans for over 15 years, which is very important for us because we know each other perfectly. This allows us to work remotely, with us in Spain and them in Italy. Almost always, with just one WhatsApp message, they understand exactly what we want.
Trust and familiarity with our artisans are essential for maintaining quality and consistency in our creations. And the quality of our materials, using precious materials, is what makes the difference. We are very pleased with the blend of high craftsmanship and our irreverent design.
In an industry often criticized for its environmental impact, how does ROD ALMAYATE approach sustainability and ethical practices in fashion design and production? – That is essential for us; all our items are made from start to finish in Italy, fully regulated, and produced in an ethical and honest manner. Many luxury brands are outsourcing production to countries where exploitation is common, but for us, the well-being of our collaborators is essential. And regarding sustainability, it’s important for us that our brand doesn’t engage in fast fashion. Some of our designs have been part of our collection for over 5 years, and we’ll continue with them, making sure it’s not a disposable industry.
You’ve mentioned a focus on price democratisation and building direct relationships with customers. How do you maintain high quality while making your creations more accessible? – That aspect is quite simple for us. We pay our artisans the price they deserve, but we have eliminated all kinds of intermediaries, such as showrooms, press offices, distributors, etc… This allows us to follow a fashion model similar to that of high fashion in the 19th century, where designers had direct contact with their clients.
We don’t like to think in terms of fashion canons because everything comes to us in a very instinctive and organic way.
ROD ALMAYATE seeks beauty in unexpected realms. How do you define beauty in fashion, and how does this philosophy guide your creative decisions? – Actually, we don’t like to think in terms of fashion canons because everything comes to us in a very instinctive and organic way.
Since we live by the beach, completely outside the fashion circuit, it allows us to create in an organic and authentic way without being influenced by trends imposed by the system.
Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you are particularly excited about? Can you give us a sneak peek into what’s next for ROD ALMAYATE? – As of today, we don’t want to pursue any more collaborations because we see it as a marketing tool to keep selling without having a truly creative foundation. In our near future, we want to safeguard and protect our identity without it being contaminated by these types of system-driven practices
