Ricardo Soto
Hi, how are you? This is Luli Fama, she is a famous designer.
Luli Fama
Yes.
Ricardo Soto
She's been to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. How many times?
Luli Fama
We've done three years.
Ricardo Soto
We're here at Curve Expo, CurveNV in Las Vegas.
Luli Fama
Yes, we are.
Ricardo Soto
And I just wanted to ask you some questions, because I really like the designs. I was curious to know how you got started?
Luli Fama
I started about 20 years ago working for a swimwear company, and that's pretty much where I learned all my skills and took it on from there.
Ricardo Soto
Where did you--what inspired you?
Luli Fama
I just love swimwear. I lived in Miami all my life and I'm Cuban, so the beach has always been really important to me and I just love swimwear and fashion.
Ricardo Soto
Where did you work at?
Luli Fama
I worked for a swimwear company and that company had gone out of business, so I decided to branch out on my own.
Ricardo Soto
Did you go to school, or was self-taught?
Luli Fama
It was self-taught. I learned from the company I was working with and the designers I worked with.
Ricardo Soto
That's really nice. Do you have a creative background or are you into the arts?
Luli Fama
I've always been creative, and I've always liked things that you do with your hands and put together. So, it's just been something that's been natural to me.
Ricardo Soto
So, you're good with your hands and arts / crafts?
Luli Fama
Yeah, pretty much.
Ricardo Soto
Do you sew?
Luli Fama
No. I don't like to sew. I like creating. Not sewing.
Ricardo Soto
Okay, creating. What are some words that describe your designs?
Luli Fama
Very sexy, very trendy. We like something that really calls a lot of attention, which is for the star on the beach. So, it's the girl that really likes to look good, she's confident and it's a very energetic vibe, very colorful.
Ricardo Soto
Yeah, it is very sexy and very colorful.
Luli Fama
Yes.
Ricardo Soto
How long does it take to create a design from beginning to end?
Luli Fama
It depends on the design and where the inspiration comes from. We design our own prints, so it's a really long process from designing the prints on the fabric to coloring the print and then going into the designing part--the actual swimsuit.
Ricardo Soto
So, are these designed?
Luli Fama
They are designed.
Ricardo Soto
And we have a model here who has on a bikini?
Luli Fama
Yes. This actually is a good print to show because we took a tie dye print and worked a lot of different colors into it. And then we print over, we designed this lace with paste lace, and then the top studs are applied, so it's embellished. So a lot of the work goes into one of these pieces.
Ricardo Soto
How long does it take to get the create this design?
Luli Fama
From the beginning point of designing the fabric to the actual sleeping main, it takes a good six months.
Ricardo Soto
Wow.
Luli Fama
Then we're famous for our ruch back bottom. If you want to see the back side of this, this has the ruching on the back and this really shapes the back really nicely. We were the ones that originated that design and now it's become a trend. But this is a great bottom and makes everybody look better in the back.
Ricardo Soto
You call it a ruched back bottom. And it's because...
Luli Fama
It's the actual ruch. That's the stitching is called.
Ricardo Soto
Where?
Luli Fama
Right here. I can show you on the back. It's pretty much this effect.
Ricardo Soto
Oh. Ok.
Luli Fama
That stitching just shapes the back really nicely.
Ricardo Soto
Yes. Yeah, it really shows off the back, and your figure, very nicely. All right, thank you very much. And then can you describe your manufacturing process from beginning to end?
Luli Fama
Manufacturing, my partner is in charge of production, so I'm pretty much on the creative side and sales part of the marketing of the company. And he handles production. We handle all of our production hands on. So it's a pretty long process from the beginning to end.
Ricardo Soto
And is it all done in the United States?
Luli Fama
No, we are manufacturing in Columbia. And our company is based out of Miami. Our headquarters and showrooms are in Miami. And that's where we ship from.
Ricardo Soto
There's a lot of designers that have manufacturing plants that outsource.
Luli Fama
Well, it's really hard to find the right people to make it in these states. Those people, that generation is gone. And we had everyone working for us in production was older. And it got to a point where we couldn't find people as we were growing and we kept getting things out there and bigger. We needed to produce, but it was impossible to find the right people.
Ricardo Soto
How much inventory do you sell?
Luli Fama
Too many to know. Too many to know. We sell everyone from Victoria's Secret catalog, Victoria's Secret stores. We sell Nordstrom. We sell the specialty stores, Everything But Water, all the surf shops, catalogs, resorts like the Wynn Resort, Hard Rock. So we have a pretty good production.
Ricardo Soto
You have excellent sales channels.
Luli Fama
This is another really special piece that we do. It's one that will definitely turn heads on the beach. With all those straps, it's a cut out Bando with the V ring and all the straps land across the body. But what's really nice is that when she turns around, it ties with one simple strap. So it's really easy to wear. And then again, of course, it has our signature Roost back bottom.
Ricardo Soto
It's really amazing how all the straps tie into one. Very simply and yet look really nice up on the side and on the bottom.
Luli Fama
Yes.
Ricardo Soto
How have you been marketing your designs? You were talking about having a lot of sales partners.
Luli Fama
Well, we have our sales force selling the brand, but we also have been very lucky that celebrities have been wearing the brand. So that's given us great exposure. We have Beyonce, Kate Hudson, Leanne Rimes, Ashley Tisdale, Mara Fiala, Giselle, all the supermodels, and all the actresses and the singers are really going after the brand, and love to wear it. And they're photographed. So once that happens, all the girls want it. And it's been really good. We also get a lot of extensive media in Sports Illustrated, and other fashion magazines. And that's also great fun. Great exposure.
Ricardo Soto
How many designs did you get in Sports Illustrated?
Luli Fama
Nine.
Ricardo Soto
Nine?
Luli Fama
Nine in the magazine. And then we had about 29 in the website. So we were the designer with the most credits.
Ricardo Soto
Wow.
Luli Fama
Now, here she's wearing... This fabric is very different because it's put through a process that gives you the feel and look of swade. But still wears the same as lycra, so it can go in saltwater and chlorine. Our French pandora French has been a strong trend this season, and we've studded this with crystals and the gold studs. Then this bottom is great because it's very soft on the sides, so it doesn't dig in and pinch and make you bulge on the sides, so it lays really flat and it's really comfortable.
Ricardo Soto
They're very different. It's a very different material.
Luli Fama
Which one of the product? It's lycra, just like what we use in car seats. It's just the process that they put them through is different. So it does look and feel really soft and the texture.
Ricardo Soto
Absolutely. Very nice. I really like that one back there.
Luli Fama
This one?
Ricardo Soto
Yes.
Luli Fama
This was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
Ricardo Soto
Wow.
Luli Fama
This is a really pretty fabric, has great colors. Then we've applied the crystals in the rose color tone on the top and the bottom. And then it also has to ruch back. That was one of the Sports Illustrated suits.
Ricardo Soto
Which other ones were in Sports illustrated?
Luli Fama
Well, I don't have all of them here because they were from our past collection. They're actually shooting now for the next book, so they will get a lot more in there. But we do have one more that was in Sports Illustrated that she could put on our show.
Ricardo Soto
Yeah, it would be great. I will take some photos of your collection, while we wait.
Luli Fama
This one with the metallics has also been really important for us. This is a really soft fabric. It's really nice because a lot of times, metallic can be stiff and scratchy, and this is really, really comfortable.
Ricardo Soto
I really like it. That's good.
Luli Fama
Here she is wearing another design that was featured in Sports Illustrated. This is really pretty. It has all the coral tones in which are very in right now with the Zebra print and mix it nicely. And the lime green stitching really makes the colors in there pop. That little edge just makes it really, really beautiful.
Ricardo Soto
It's very beautiful. How do you find your models for CurveNV?
Luli Fama
Well, it's really hard to find models that we like to fit our image properly. So we are very selective in who we choose. And we like girls that look sensual and classy and just portray a certain image, which is the Luli Fama image. And she fits it right. And that's what we look for.
Ricardo Soto
Yes, she does. And what are your overall goals?
Luli Fama
I'm sorry, my overall?
Ricardo Soto
Your overall goals.
Luli Fama
Goals. Just to continue doing what we're doing because we're having an amazing season. We have been for the last three years. The light just took off and it's on a rise and all the girls want it. And the goal is to just keep every girl happy and coming back for some more.
Ricardo Soto
All right. Thank you very much. It's been such a pleasure and honor to have met you and present all your designs. You're such an inspiration for so many designers.
Luli Fama
Thank you very much.
Ricardo Soto
And I am sure you will be very successful for many years to come.
Luli Fama
Thank you. Thank you for coming.