Today we’d like to introduce you to Gloria Hernando.
Hi Gloria, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have been dedicated to the pursuit of artistic endeavors since I can remember. As I grew up, design became fully integrated into a life where everything I did and selected had intent and purpose. By the age of 11, I was already drawing floor plans of how I wanted my bedroom to look – throw pillows and all. This eventually evolved into a desire to make art in a way that could expand and interact directly with people.
As a compliment to my self-taught art, I decided to study Architecture at the University of Miami and Interior Design at the University of Florida, along with a Summer Intensive in Architecture with the Parsons School of Design in Paris. I knew one day I would be able to unite all my passions into one career even though I had no idea how. During my studies, however, I experienced a series of traumatizing events that I often refer to as my personal “dark ages”. This darkness was difficult to overcome, but ultimately reignited my creativity and led to discovering my mission of utilizing my craft to empower others. It was my search for the strength of hope during this time that not only sparked the Latin for Glory name but also defined the Bull as my emblem. I decided to push through the pain and grab life by the horns.
For the next couple of years, I continued to develop my art meanwhile I worked as a professional interior designer and press coordinator for Miami-based firms. I took a year off from interior design to focus on developing my “Running of the Bulls” art collection abroad in Madrid, Spain, but eventually came back. In 2018, the time came to leap. So, I quit all my other jobs, became an independent creative, and opened the first Latin for Glory studio in the Miami Design District.
It was at that very moment that everything finally aligned. Since then, I have had two solo art exhibitions, “Seven Fires” (2019) and “Let There Be Light” (2020), along with the recent presentation of “Terra Mater: Burn to Bloom” in Santa Fe New Mexico (2022). In addition to the art, I began working on a variety of my own residential interior design projects including the newest completion of “Ocean Drive Oasis” full renovation in Miami Beach.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road I am on is rooted in overcoming challenges. It has been full of highs and lows, uncertain turns, and uncomfortable terrain – all because I am making my path as I go. I could have easily followed a very specific career, focusing on one profession and following the many successful individuals in the field. Instead, I have chosen to be a pioneer and create my dream from square one.
The biggest struggle has been to stick to my vision no matter the circumstance. I have faced moments of not making any money, of having to turn away “opportunities”, and sacrifice peace of mind just to stay on course. There have been people I admire who have tried to steer me away from my vision, and others who have strongly discouraged me with the phrase “If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either”. But I have continually needed to remind myself that I am not out here chasing rabbits, I am building an empire.
It has been through intention, strategy, and unwavering faith that I can proudly call myself a multi-creative. I have had to push through doubt, adversity, and setbacks to finally exercise my full creative freedom and be able to serve people through my artistic craft and design profession.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Latin for Glory Design Studio?
Latin for Glory is a creative firm that intersects the disciplines of art, design, and transpersonal psychology. The Design Studio’s self-defined ethos is “Interior Alchemy”, a practice that utilizes objects and materiality as elements to transform a space into an uplifting experience. Each bespoke project goes beyond form and function to create conscious environments. As a full-range firm, LFG handles everything from artistic direction to space planning, to project management and final curation.
My interior design philosophy is “soul spaces”, which focuses on environments that foster spiritual freedom, authenticity, and introspection. The goal is to utilize design as a tool that not only improves my client’s quality of life but more so the quality of their integrated wellbeing. I intentionally break away from what has become a monotonous industry to restore intentionality, depth, and purpose to the craft. There are endless designers with great taste, talent, and experience. I am not here to be another one of them – I am here to redefine luxury and bring soul into design.
Stylistically, Latin for Glory does not fit into any prescribed style. Every project begins as a blank canvas where I collaborate on ideas with the individual clients and fuse their vision with history, culture, and storytelling. There is a golden thread across my work, however, and that is the play between juxtapositions such as polished vs edgy, modern vs retro, and light vs dark. The real magic for me is finding harmony in all of life’s contradictions.
What matters most to you? Why?
I want my clients to be moved and feel inspired on both an internal and external level – but in a way that speaks to their unique journey. Inspiration is highly subjective, and greatest achieved when there is a point of connection between the source and the receiver. That is why it is so important to me to focus on individuality and personal storytelling when creating an environment.
The spark of inspiration when walking into a room can then transcend into what the client needs whether that be to rest, entertain, or create. By doing so, I create environments that improve overall well-being through the mind, body, and soul.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.latinforglorydesignstudio.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/latinforglorydesignstudio
- Other: www.vimeo.com/latinforglory
Image Credits
Barry Grossman, Ramon Olivieri, and Angel Pierini
