Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Alexandra Pinto Jimenez.
Maria Alexandra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the beautiful country of Venezuela and I moved to the United States almost 4 years ago. Most people all around the world knows what is happening back home and I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to get my education in the States, merge with other cultures and last, but most important to change completely the way I see life and how to enjoy it.
Back home everyone is very close-minded; especially from the small city I came from (Maturin), therefore, since I moved here, I could say, I’m a complete different person. I was lacking connection and meaning with all the things that surrounded me. That emptiness made me start looking for something that could add meaning to my life and I found it through work. I started doing internships and then I end it up working for the design department of Eberjey (Intimates, pijamas and Swimwear company based here in Miami). Now, I’m the first person in my family to graduate by the age of 20 years old (as a bachelor of arts) and starting her own business. “More Than Prints” is the name I chose for my fashion consulting business. Right now, it’s just me working on it and I offer from color trend forecast, to print textile designs and flat sketches development.
I’m not a high-fashion model and it’s not in my plans neither. I have been modeling since I’m 14 years old and the first time I tried to enter to an agency here in Miami, they told me I was overweight (I was not, but I had too much muscle because of exercising). After that day, I became obsessed with calories and unhealthy diets where I wasn’t eating enough. One day, I realized I was overacting about what they told me and one friend told me: “if you think you are overweight you are mentally unstable.” Now, I exercise a lot and I have very healthy eating habits, furthermore, I feel a huge responsibility and urge to promote healthy body image within the fashion industry, I want to stop that craziness model agencies have now to make girls loose so much weight until a point they don’t even feel comfortable with themselves. I hope one day, I could help improve those patterns in the industry and make girls feel comfortable about their weight because I really know how it feels and how much it affects your self-esteem.
It is really hard to be taken seriously in the business world at such a young age, however, I’m not going to stop demonstrating my capabilities and knowledge to others just because they say I’m too young. My parents taught me that we are never too young or too old to make our dreams part of our reality.
Has it been a smooth road?
I can say I’ve been a very lucky girl full of health and surrounded by my family and great friends. However, I believe the biggest obstacle I have had and never confessed before is loneliness. I grew up sharing with my brother and my parents on a daily basis, I used to go to my grandma’s house every Sunday and my bestfriends were my neighbors, so technically, I never experimented living by myself or being alone at all. Since I moved here, I felt something was missing and after breaking up with my boyfriend of almost two years, I realized I was missing home and my parents. The past year has been kind of a rollercoaster of emotions, sometimes I feel great and other days, I just need a hug and someone to tell me everything is going to be okay. Therefore, I could say my biggest obstacles or challenges has been cheering me up constantly every time something goes wrong, feeling companionship with God in my days of loneliness and finding the inner strength to keep me focus on what’s important for my future and out of trouble.
Out of the bad, we always get something good and from my loneliness, I could say I’ve found I’m so much more strong of what I thought, I found connection with God and I learned to appreciate so much more… companionship, my family, my friends and every second I spend with them. I also found passion in my work, in my career and how to get inspiration from every corner of this world. For those afraid of being alone, I can say it’s the best thing that can happen to you, you will learn so much about yourself, about your strengths and weaknesses and you will also learn that there is not challenge, bad moment or sadness in this life you cannot overcome by yourself.
This is one of my favorite quote which inspires me all day long: “Life is like riding a bicycle to keep your balance you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the More Than Prints story. Tell us more about the business.
My fashion business consulting is an online platform that permits me to work with clients all around the world or whenever they are or I am. I offer from print textile design to pattern sketches and trend forecast such as color or silhouettes for the next season or one year ahead of the season. I just started with More Than Prints, so what I’m most proud of is offering this service that facilitates a more accurate prediction of what’s next in fashion. It’s not about making money, it’s about understanding the clients, their needs and their target market. I think what sets me apart from others is taking the initiative of offering not just what they want but what I also think they are lacking in terms of style or accuracy.
I will say perseverance and courage, because you need to insist in what you really want not only in your work or business, but also in your life. You are what you do, not what you say you will do. You also need courage to overcome failures and try it again until you get it right, especially in this industry where fashion is something more about perceptions and subjective points of view, we don’t have a right or wrong way to wear a skirt or a blouse, it depends more in how consumers view it and what influences them to have that positive or negative perspective.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In 5 to 10 more years, I see my business very stable and offering a lot of job opportunities to young people following their passion in fashion and who will be seeking an stable job with good salary and benefits. I see my business as one of the main companies leading the trend forecasting field.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 857-205-5000
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/more.than.prints/
Image Credit:
Silvana Trevale, Facundo Bustos, Jesus Villafranca, Gabriela Epelboim
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