Today we’d like to introduce you to Barbara Molina.
Barbara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I never thought I would live in Miami, in fact, if I had to choose a place in the United States, surely, my first option would have been Los Angeles. I came for a friend, it’s always easier to start somewhere where you have someone you know. In principle I came only for three months, my goal was to make money to open a tattoo studio in Granada with a friend. But at that time, everything happened, I started dancing in clubs, I honestly didn’t like it, but it allowed me to live here and save a lot. At first, I lived in Hallandale and moved to Hollywood, and I even lived in the house of some Venezuelan friends so I could save and come to live in Miami Beach. I have to say that I had moments in which I felt alone and eager to return to Spain because Miami is incredible but also too expensive and everything is far away compared to my country. Once living in Miami Beach and at all changes, I could see more my friends, I also got an apartment in South Beach with a Spanish friend for three months and when my friend returned to Spain, Andrea, a Venezuelan friend, came to live with me, who I adore and is one of the most important people I have here in Miami.
When I stayed in Miami, the option to open the tattoo studio had vanished and I had to think something to do here. I have to admit that I was two and a half months a little out of place, I was here to be, I had nothing clear, but one day it occurred to me to start an online clothing store, it was a perfect idea, I didn’t need much investment and I could live in a place in the world that I wanted to be my own boss.
I stopped dancing and started working in catering a few days, so I would have more time to start my project. The name of my company did not take me long, I knew that I had to say something about women, and define myself a little as I was and identify with me. At first, it was going to be called Donna Liberata, which means free woman, but it was already in use, so one afternoon listening to a set of electronic music from a friend Simone Liberali, I checked what her last name meant, Liberali was liberal, it was perfect, Donna Liberali, a liberal woman, already had it.
The first thing I did was to combine the domain and patent my brand so that nobody can use it worldwide. With Andrea who is a graphic designer, I started making the page Weebly to make everything easier for us. At first, we made Donna Liberali, in general, for all women, but I needed a concept and a target for my company to work, I have to say I was a little lost, but a month ago, I had a flash and I saw it clear in my mind, for I finally knew what I wanted, had a concept and had the target.
We had to change everything, the page, the logo, the clothes, the concept, the colors, it was no longer a page to buy and sell clothes now it had become my brand Donna Liberali, with which I want to make myself known in the world of fashion, to reach every liberal, strong, daring and fighter woman that each one of us has inside us.
We are starting a new collection that we hope to have ready for spring or summer and the truth is that we are very happy, both Andrea and I to be able to dedicate ourselves to something so beautiful, wonderful and with which every day is new learning.
I have an Italian investor to invest in marketing and advertising, and I am looking for investors who believe in Donna Liberali and of course. We still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do, but I’m very happy.
I thank all those who supported me on the roll to my friend Erick who always trusted me and Donna Liberali, Andrea for helping me every day selflessly, so much so, that now she is a member of the company. And to all my friends, family and people who love me and want the best.
Our slogan is “Feel the magic of fashion.”
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I had many obstacles, one of them money, with the whole it would have been easier, but doing something out of nowhere costs a little more, in fact with money it would have taken three months to have everything ready, it took us 1 year, and we still work for it. Another obstacle is to be in a country different from mine, everything is different, you also do not have all your family and friends nearby, introducing me to a new world for me, such as graphic design, technical words, computer problems, in that less bad than Andrea has helped me. My advice to other girls who want to start their business is first to be constant, second not to change their goal, third not to listen to constructive advice from people who have never built anything, fourth to learn, read, study and ask everything do not know, and last but not least, that they believe in themselves and that however long and hard the process is, everything has its reward.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Donna Liberali story. Tell us more about it.
Donna Liberali was established in August 2018, with the goal to make every woman show in the outside what they feel on the inside, only with their clothing. Just like the name says in Italian Donna Liberali means liberal women.
In Donna Liberali, I only use colors from white to black through all the grayscales, and some color more like camel, garnet, military green or dark blue, but always plain colors, we do not use stripes, pictures, flowers or prints. I try to take a line always minimalist, comfortable, sexy and elegant.
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
I believe in equality, I think that women are qualified to do any job, effort or project just like men. But I do think that because of wanting that equality so much, sometimes women are more positioned to give them more opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Address: 950 Jefferson Avenue
Miami Beach, Florida 33139 - Website: www.donnaliberalistore.com
- Email: donnaliberali@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnaliberali/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donna.liberali
Image Credit:
Photographer Eddy A. Fernandez
https://instagram.com/hobbygrapher_?igshid=1quuqh48lye5n, Photographer: Carlos Bello https://instagram.com/cbhphoto77?igshid=1hwd6nbe5h5b3
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