Bowie Wong once said: “Fashion is an art form. It is an expression of ideas. It is a history… told by a visual storyteller.” My name is Gabriela Rodriguez Lamas from San Juan, Puerto Rico and I am ready to be a visual storyteller. When I was a child I lacked a hobby, all friends played a sport or an instrument and I never was into any of those things. The only activity I enjoyed was playing dress up with my mom. My mother had the most beautiful clothes, jewels and shoes; I truly considered her the ultimate fashionista. My mother has always been involved in the fashion industry in Puerto Rico and led the way to find my dream. I have been learning about fashion and understanding consumers since I was eleven years old. In fashion shows with my mother I would guess which customer would buy which outfit, and always guess them correctly. I analyzed the designer’s customers, their style, likes, and way of life. This is one of the most important parts of the marketing process and for me its natural.

Currently, I am in the Masters in Fine Art Program in Luxury and Fashion Management in SCAD. It has been a great learning experience, finally studying in debt what I have loved my whole life. Some of the classes I have currently taken include: Supply Chain Management Strategies, Forecasting and Business Trends, Marketing of Luxury Goods, and Computer-enhanced Fashion Marketing. My mother and I started a public relations and communications firm in Puerto Rico called Lamas Media Group. I got my bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the Universidad del Sagrado Corazon in Puerto Rico. I work through my college years and experienced amazing opportunities. During my years at ACD Advertising Group, I was an intern and junior account executive for VP of Public Relations and Communications Division, Matilde Cordova. ACD Advertising is a mid-size advertising, marketing, and communications agency in Puerto Rico. I had the opportunity of working with many luxurious brands and fashion merchandise. It varied from brands like BMW and Veuve Clicquot, to Carolina Herrera and Cartier.

I am a very diverse person, not only do I speak two languages, I am also very well traveled. I have the ability to bring an edge and a different perspective to any company. I am always on top the latest trends and strategies to attract customers. Thanks to all changes in technology, communication and societies lifestyles will become the center if the world. We will still live in a society that categorizes humans by nationality and cultures, but it will not establish our behaviors or style. The actual lifestyles we know will change and evolve a thousand times in the future, they never stay the same. Fashion industry will change, and so will fashion as a system. After completion of my Master’s Degree I hope to take relevant experience and study in order of making my dream of becoming a luxury brand manager reality.