Coco Chanel used to say that the "most courageous act is to think for yourself... aloud." And Spanish designer Olga Recio has been consistent with this legendary philosophy.
Determined, with firm and unshakeable convictions, an inveterate dreamer, and full of energy. Olga cannot hide the passion and emotion that surge within her when talking about the world of design and fashion. From a young age, she knew what she wanted, but not only that, she also knew what she could and could not compromise on to achieve her goals.

With an adventurous spirit, at 17 she moved to Paris on her own to forge her own path. There she trained, and then life led her to work in eight countries (USA, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, France, Andorra, and South Africa) with totally different cultures, something that has undoubtedly given her a unique, original, and particular vision of the world, which is reflected in every design and collection she creates.

Her career began in New York, and from that moment on, she never stopped. She worked for major fashion industry brands such as Anne Klein, Cacharel, Armani, MNG, and Zara, among others. She also had experience in accessory design until she finally chose to design with freedom and for herself, giving birth to her brand Olga Recio, "OR." Having her own brand is something her husband always encouraged, and she has achieved it with the support of her two children, whom she considers the absolute driving force of her life.

Hola: Telling your family you wanted to be a designer must have been quite a statement. Do you think that moment marked the beginning of your independence?
OR: I was always very independent. One day, at 14, I decided to go on vacation alone to Milan, and I went. Since I obviously wanted to pay for it myself, I decided to go by train and bought the cheapest ticket available. When my mother took me to the station, completely worried and scared, without my knowledge, she changed my ticket and got me a private cabin without telling me anything. I thought they had made a mistake in seating me until I found out later. My family knew that if I decided to study that, I would do it with or without their support. It was very difficult to change my mind, so they decided to support me.

Hola: When did fashion become a passion in your life?
OR: I loved to draw, I loved fabrics, I always found it fascinating. When I moved to Paris and started experiencing fashion from the inside, I fell completely in love, although at times it also scared me because it's a complicated environment for a 17-year-old girl, which is what I was when I moved to Paris alone.

Hola: And how did the brand come to be?
OR: For many years, while working for other brands, I constantly heard the question of why I wasn't developing my own brand. My husband was my biggest supporter, but I never felt it was the right time until about two years ago. Life itself led me in that direction, and I started organizing everything to launch Olga Recio "OR."

Hola: You recently presented your collection in Panama. Tell us about it and your experience at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Panama.
OR: It was an interesting experience and very different from what I know about other fashion weeks in other parts of the world, so it was a learning experience. The collection is called "Transition" because it embodies a moment of transition in my life. It is a clear reflection of the cultural mix I live in, of the things I have absorbed in the different cultures I have experienced. My European roots are now influenced by Latin colors and African flavor, and that is clearly reflected in my designs.

Hola: Well then, it's very likely that we'll soon find your designs in Panama…
OR: Yes, we definitely love the idea of extending Olga Recio "OR" to this side of the continent. We have landed in Panama as a spearhead, but we hope to soon reach Costa Rica, Peru, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. I adore Latin America; I spent many years living there, and at times I feel as Latina as I am European. The Latin woman is a woman of strong and very elegant presence, and of course, we are honored to be able to dress her.

Hola: And when it comes to getting dressed... how would you define your personal style?
OR: I think I'm very neat, but suddenly I like to mix anything. Quite simple, very straightforward when choosing what to wear. I'm not complicated at all. Not eccentric; I don't like gratuitous extravagance. I like clothes with very good definition; I like natural fabrics, which is somewhat reflected in my collections.

Hola: Is there a favorite item of clothing in your closet?
OR: No, I don't think there's one in particular. Because they also change according to the moment and the season. It depends a lot on where I'm living. The climate changes your style; I don't dress the same when I'm in Panama or Barcelona as when I lived in New York or Paris. There's only one evening dress that I have a very special affection for because it was the first evening dress I designed and sewed myself for myself. It's all hand-sewn, and perhaps that piece brings back memories; it's a piece that is very important sentimentally.

Hola: You just mentioned that you lived in several places, which one do you remember the most or identify with the most?
OR: I lived in each of the places I was in completely different stages. That is, when I first arrived in Paris, I was 17 years old and was starting two university degrees at once, with a very intense student life and discovering for the first time what the world of fashion in Paris is like, which has nothing to do with what it is in the rest of the world. It was a very intense world, in fact, many weekends I had to go to Barcelona to see my family and connect with normal people to understand that life was something else. New York was another stage, for example, it was where I started working, the first time in my life I received a salary, the first time I was paid for doing what for me is the most fun thing in the world, Argentina where I met my husband and where my children were born, and so it was in every country, in all of them I had something that I loved and from all of them I learned many things. They were very different cultures, Paris, New York, South Africa, Mexico, they have nothing to do with each other, and all of them enriched me a lot.

Hola: Speaking of children, what is your relationship with them like?
OR: It's a normal relationship. We have a great time, but I'm a mom first and foremost. I love that they accompany me to fashion shows, that they are in the workshop, that they get used to being among fabrics.

Hola: Would you like one of them to join your firm at some point or take it on as a legacy?
OR: Yes, I would love that. I would like them to be the ones to continue and take the brand further than I can, but above all, that they do it because they are passionate about it, they like it, they enjoy it, and they enjoy fashion and the business world as much as I do. If it were out of obligation, because it's a family business... then no, they should follow the path of their own happiness. Olga Recio "OR" is for them to enjoy, but they have to choose it; however, I would love for them to do it.