Lorena is a designer and the founder of her own bridal fashion label. She has developed a creative world centred on the design of wedding dresses, where the choice of fabrics, attention to detail and the preservation of craftsmanship play a fundamental role. In this interview, she talks to us about her career path, her creative process and her vision of craftsmanship and contemporary fashion.
Your professional journey didn’t begin directly in the world of fashion. What led you to make that change and pursue such a creative path?
“For eleven years, I worked at a desk in a financial environment. It was a stable job, but I have always been a restless person, constantly evolving and full of dreams. I felt something was missing: the chance to create.
Fashion had always been there. Ever since I was little, I loved imagining garments, playing with fabrics and thinking about how I could turn an idea into something someone could wear. But I never thought it would become my profession.
The turning point came when my sister told me she was getting married. I decided to make her evening dress myself. I started almost without thinking, simply experimenting, as I had done so many times with my friend Carmen, who used to sew. And that awakened something in me.
Afterwards, I left my job, completed a Master’s in Fashion and Luxury Business Management and Creation, and eventually turned my final project into what is now Lorena Formoso.
I don’t think it was so much a rational decision as a need to try a different path. I needed to feel that I was building something that truly reflected who I am.”
How has the way we understand bridal fashion evolved, and which traditions do you believe are worth preserving?
“Brides have changed enormously. Today, they have much more freedom to decide how they want to look, how they want to feel and which traditions they want to make their own. There is no longer just one way to be a bride.
And I think that is wonderful.
But precisely because of this, certain traditions become even more valuable when we preserve them because they have meaning, rather than simply because ‘that’s how it has always been done’. A mantilla, a veil, a trousseau piece or a particular way of working with a fabric can all tell a story.
For me, tradition is not about repeating the past, but about knowing what is worth preserving and giving it a new life.
That is also what I try to do at Formoso: look ahead without losing sight of our roots, our way of working and, above all, the value of what is made here, with time and care.”
What does craftsmanship mean to you? Why do you think it is still important to take the time to create a garment with care and intention?
“I’m glad you’ve asked me this question because I’m at a point in my life where I’ve decided to pause, reflect and put time back at the centre of what I do.
For me, craftsmanship is time. And precisely for that reason, I believe it is a luxury today.
Over the past few years, Formoso grew enormously. We started doing more, building a larger structure, bringing in more people and making more dresses… until I reached a point where I realised that this growth was also taking me away from something essential: creativity, craftsmanship and the way I believed a dress should be made.
I have consciously decided to do less so that I can do better. I don’t want to get caught up in the cycle of producing more collections, more designs or working faster. I want to enjoy the process again: taking the time to choose a fabric, experiment with a shape, adjust a pattern and perfect a finish.
And there is something I think is important to say: we talk a great deal about craftsmanship, about recognising its value and preserving traditional skills… but that message also needs to be reflected in our decisions. There is little point in saying that we want craftsmanship to survive if, at the same time, we are unwilling to accept what it means financially to work in this way.
Craftsmanship takes time, and time comes at a cost. I believe we all — brands, retailers and consumers alike — need to understand this and find a balance.
That is precisely where I am right now: trying to find a way of working that is also economically sustainable, without giving up what gives Formoso its meaning.
Because a handcrafted dress represents much more than the many hours of work that go into it. It embodies knowledge, skilled hands, experience and a way of working that we risk losing if we stop practising it.
And I think that is one of the great contradictions of our time: we talk so much about craftsmanship and taking things slowly, yet we live in an industry that constantly rewards speed, quantity and growth.
For me, the point is not to romanticise craftsmanship, but to truly understand what it involves and build a model that allows it to endure. Because if we want these crafts to continue to exist, we must also be willing to embrace their cost, their time and their value.
And that is precisely what I am trying to do with Formoso right now.
For me, true luxury today is not having more. It is being able to take the time to do something well.”
Three words that define the essence of Lorena Formoso in a wedding dress.
“FREEDOM, CRAFTSMANSHIP AND EMOTION.
Freedom to step outside expectations. Craftsmanship to ensure that every detail has meaning. And emotion because, in the end, a wedding dress is not just a garment: it is something that accompanies a woman on one of the days she will probably remember for the rest of her life.”
Where in the world would you love to explore wearing your friulane?
“My homeland. Galicia.
It may not sound like the most exotic answer, but that is precisely the point. Galicia is where my roots are, and it is where I feel free. Every corner has something that inspires me deeply: the Atlantic Ocean, the landscapes, the stone, the greenery, the wind, the women, the craftsmanship…
Friulane have something very special about them because they are comfortable, elegant and have that ability to accompany you without demanding too much attention.
I can picture myself walking along the coast, from a small village towards the sea, wearing a simple dress with the Galician landscape all around me.
Perhaps because, in the end, there are places you don’t need to reach; you need to return to.”
How would you design a pair of bridal friulane?
“I would make them very Formoso: seemingly simple, but with an unexpected detail.
I would probably start with an ivory shade, but experiment with a special fabric: satin, silk, perhaps a subtle embroidery or a very delicate, understated lace detail from Camariñas. I wouldn’t fill them with embellishments. I like a piece to have something to discover, rather than revealing everything at once.
And I would certainly do something that matters to me when it comes to bridal fashion: make sure they could still be worn after the wedding.
Because I love the idea that something so special doesn’t have to remain tucked away in a box forever.”
