We had the good fortune of connecting with ANA MARIA SARMIENTO and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi ANA MARIA, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I love jewelry and I love Colombia. So it was really the perfect match. I consider myself ultra Colombian but also extremely international so I understand both worlds. I want women of the world to feel and live the Glamazon touch!

I have loved jewelry since I was a kid, it’s something that is at the heart of Colombian fashion. I think its extremely personal but you can totally show it off. Jewelry can define your mood and style and it can make an outfit. I find jewelry quite emotional, as if it talks to me.

I joined the fashion scene in Paris actually, as I have lived abroad for about 18 years. I exhibited my brand first time in Paris Fashion week, after in Milan, then Berlin, then London and finally in Colombia 4 years ago, although the Brand is already 10 years old. I did things in the opposite way, first international and then local. Actually we sell to 17 countries worldwide.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I studied my Masters in Fashion Business and Luxury Management from IFA, Paris and Polimoda, Italy. Before founding FLOR AMAZONA, I started my career in banking and worked at the United Nations in Austria but soon turned my hand to the creative industry where I was Global Brand Director for several European Fashion and Beauty brands. During my time in fashion I saw a gap in the market for real Colombian glamour and I wanted to find a way of breaking old Colombian clichés and so I created FLOR AMAZONA in 2014.

FLOR AMAZONA stands for Colombia and culture. It is a Colombian brand that supports Colombian traditions whilst infusing contemporary style to make it wearable for the modern woman. We work with indigenous tribes to keep traditional handcraft alive and use bright and vibrant colours and patterns so that women can feel in paradise all year long. FLOR AMAZONA is all about colours and patterns!

Many of the FLOR AMAZONA pieces are heavily influenced by tribal traditions. The indigenous make jewelry patterns representing their visions in their dreams, so we meet to discuss those that have stood out for them and how we could represent them in our designs in terms of patterns, visions, colors and flowing lines.
Hugo, a Shaman and the indigenous propose old age patterns that depict the nature of the rainforest and the world around them, their shamanic visions and symbols of their gods to create pieces that bring peace and fortune to its creator and wearer.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I come from a city in Colombia called Bucaramanga. My childhood was full of nature, sports, sand and beach.

Because of my dad’s job as a captain of an oil ship, we were used to travel internationally a lot since children, getting to know new countries an languages and we were also pretty bookworms, me and my brothers had always studied a lot.

My mom is my ultimate inspiration of course! She is the ultimate Glamazon, a great business woman with her own company and also a super mom of three.

Website: www.floramazona.com

Instagram: @floramazona

Linkedin: @floramazona

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floramazona.co

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