Laura Kim And Fernando Garcia Are Breaking Creative Ground

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It’s a major year for Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim as their Monse line turns 10 and the Oscar de la Renta brand, which they’ve led since 2016, turns 60. The designers also had a buzzy extracurricular activity after creating the uniforms for the Blue Origin trip to space with Lauren Sanchez, Katy Perry, and Gayle King onboard. How do they do it all?

It’s difficult to make it as a fashion brand. Why do you think Monse has been able to survive? Laura Kim: We’re still trying to survive! We survived Covid, which I’m so proud of. We still believe in Monse. We have a good network of people who want to support and help us.

Fernando Garcia: Having the drive is the No. 1 thing you need in this industry to prevail, then comes the hard work and talent. What we’ve been grateful for in the 15 years for me and 20 years for Laura in the industry is you garner a network of people who are able to give you advice or support you in some capacity. Every challenge that comes our way every year is different, and it helps when you have garnered a network of people for as long as we have.

Why do you two work so well together? Kim: [Laughs] Do we? Do we work well together?

We knew we’d get some sarcasm. Garcia: What else can you expect from being together for so long? It’s never perfectly smooth, but Laura and I thrive on not just competitive designing but on challenging each other. If we propose something for a collection, it’s a sounding board. It requires to pass that person’s opinion for the product to get to the highest quality and level for both of us.

Kim: We have fun together! That’s the most important part.

How long did you have to create the looks for the Blue Origin flight? Kim: It was during Christmas time. Fernando was back home and I was in Canada. We started sketching and sent it to Lauren over text. I just wanted her to look and feel good. That was my goal for the project.

Did you go to Texas for the launch? Garcia: There was a pinch-me moment. We were taken to El Paso in a bus with close friends of the crew, so it felt like we were in an intimate setting being driven to the middle of nowhere without knowing what to expect. It was a tent in the middle of the desert. The rocket explodes going up, and we feel the gust of wind in our faces. I was nervous and thrilled when they landed. It was exciting for all of them and for us.

You’ve had some incredible celebrity moments over the years. Garcia: Selena Gomez, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Taylor Swift from the very beginning. Lauren Sanchez was quite a remarkable moment for us. She sold [Blue Origin] to us in an unexciting way. She texted and it sounded like she needed some help for something from space and it became this out-of-control moment for Monse.

Kim: For me, it was Michelle Obama and Blackpink. I’m Korean. I can’t skip that.

Let’s talk about the milestones this year. Why do you think Oscar de la Renta has endured for so long? Garcia: The lesson he taught us is to know your customer and find something in the market that isn’t already existing. And to know yourself at the end of the day and know what you’re good at. Those are key pieces you need to have in order to have longevity.

Kim: Our CEO [Alex Bolen] has been there for 20 years, and he’s part of Oscar’s family. He did a good job maintaining the brand. If it was sold to someone, I don’t think it would have necessarily done well. He did something to keep it going. The family is protective of the [brand] image and every single picture that goes out there. I give him credit for that.

Do you still think about Oscar every day? Garcia: I think about how hilarious he was. I definitely see him in our clothes that we design for the brand. It’s impossible for us to escape our first teacher. It’s always there and present in our aesthetic. I really do miss the person the most.

Kim: He’s someone who never looked back, and I also move forward and think about how our clients are evolving and their lifestyles are changing. I think about how he managed his team a lot. When I was his assistant, I didn’t appreciate it.

How do you stay creative and keep those juices flowing after all these years? Garcia: Laura and I are innately looking to one up what we did the prior season. Everything inspires us. We’re constantly jotting down ideas. We share our ideas with the team. There’s a constant text message chain that has one idea flowing every day for a collection. It keeps going and going.

Kim: I’m going to quit the day I’m not excited about it anymore. I’m still excited about what we create.

What are you still hoping to accomplish professionally? Garica: Expanding Monse with the store we just opened on Rivington Street in NYC.

Kim: Martha Stewart has always been my muse. How she built her company is something I can’t imagine us doing, but that’s my ultimate. I look up to what she’s built!

All images: Courtesy of Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim

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