We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Catarina Amaro. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Catarina below.

Catarina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I have been pursuing mastering means of expression ever since I can remember. To find ways that enable me to reconnect with and re-experience my thoughts, sensations, and emotions, and through the process of expression, effectively share them, making them an external part of what defines my individuality. Throughout my childhood and teenage years I was incredibly sure I wanted to be an artist for the rest of my life. I used to paint, to write, to photograph, to design – always searching for more, and more meaningful means of expressing myself. Nevertheless, by the time I was 17, I was afraid I would lose interest in such important things, and get apathetic towards creating if I was obliged to do it as a demand. So I was accepted in college to study for a degree in Politics and International Relationships. I went through Economics, Law, and other theoretical subjects for one year, after which I quit and pursued a degree in Design. Although short, this period ended up being one of the most important parts of my path. Going through this year gave me a perspective on life itself, and made me realize, through experience, how much I wanted to pursue a career that could fulfil my real aspirations – even if it meant being exposed to more challenges and being offered fewer opportunities, among other issues that felt much relevant before, and which are almost inherent to the creative industry. I am glad I took a moment to reflect and experience this journey, even just to realize what I have always known by heart. I could never truly live if not through creativity.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Catarina Amaro, and I am a Creative Director and Fashion Designer from Porto, Portugal. I started my professional path as a Graphic Designer, in 2022, and some months after graduating in Visual Communication, I moved to Barcelona in order to pursue a degree within the Fashion field.

Master in Fashion Creative Direction, I started working almost exclusively on the area, and applied my visual and conceptual knowledge into the design of my own clothing brand VORTEX STUDIO (@vrtxstd). Interested in the processes of constructing through deconstruction, while following the premises of the anti-fast-fashion, with each creation I aim to turn what may seem useless into something unique, exclusive and meaningful.

Through VORTEX STUDIO I design, develop and present 1 of 1 garments that are wearable statements of the cause. Created from waste of fabrics (and other materials), combined with thrifted findings, every piece of clothing I design embodies the vision and the aesthetic of the brand, by valuing its core messages: uniqueness through deconstruction, exclusivity from the handcrafting; and VRTXSTD’s identitary visual elements: such as denim and the unfinished cut designs.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When you dedicate time, and you put effort into something repeatedly, you gradually increase your ability to perceive the time gap between having an idea and having it done. It takes more than the will to construct something from scratch. And trying to build a solid, authentic structure (in my case, coming in the shape of a clothing brand) that serves as the foundation of the values to be communicated, the process is even more complex. And it is very frustrating when you spend hours, days, and sometimes weeks working consistently on a project that ends up being misperceived, or even misunderstood. I think resilience is the basis for everything that revolves around turning creativity into profit. I am constantly reminded of that. To spend weeks working on building a universe, and months designing items that can represent the conceptual values one’s compromised to, as well. Resilience to me feels like choosing to focus on the results that cannot be visible yet. It is about receiving none, and choosing to never stop creating. This is very common for me. I see it as a form of patience supported by confidence, from someone who believes it takes a lot of effort to turn a vision into a common space. It’s resilience that keeps me from stopping when my creations feel like they still belong to me only.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Creativity is my ability to convey who I am and what I believe without the need for further explanation. With VORTEX STUDIO I canalize and embody these values through physical garments which are the products of a universe I design. As an artist, I rely on parallel processes, such as painting, that differ in form and results but still serve me as a means of communicating a purpose through my work. This multidisciplinary process allows me to make the most out of my energy. Acknowledging that creativity is a spectrum and that the process is not static enables me to achieve new results and feel more joyful along the journey. And this need to create, or to communicate in a personal yet open way, is a craving I have always been faced with, and which I constantly, and continuously try to fulfil. I think that purpose is the basis for every action. My purpose is to communicate in a way that reflects my own perception, a statement, or an intention – through a language that isn’t necessarily spoken but perceived, worn and ultimately felt. Through my creations, I am able to speak louder than words.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://catamaro.my.canva.site/acatamaro
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acatamaro/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catamaro/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/vrtxstd/

Image Credits

Profile photography: Rafaela Ramos @rafaelaramos24
Other images: VORTEX STUDIO @vrtxstd & BOAS @boas.vintagedenim