ANA LIVNI
Fernando and Ana are a couple parents, and business partners designing and creating clothing. They met while studying at the Centro de Diseño Industrial in Montevideo, started dating and later they traveled to Italy to finish they graduate studies. Once back in Uruguay, they worked for a few textile companies until 2002, when they started their creating their own wool garments under the brand "Ana Livni Slow Fashion."
For both, the interest in design and textiles begun while spending time with their grandmothers. Fernando's grandmother used to do embroidery pieces, while Ana's, besides knitting, used to own one of the first department stores in Uruguay back in the 50s. There, Ana got the chance to see and learn about many different fabrics and crafting materials.
Fernando and Ana were pioneers in the "Slow Fashion Movement" in the region giving lectures and conferences in Chile, Brazil, and Argentina. They where in Europe when they leaned about the Slow Food Movement and decided to apply it to the Fashion Industry.
"We don't really like the word "fashion" all by itself. We find it too ephemeral, too fleeting, to disposable... We want that our creations, inspired by art, to last. We believe in 'fashion that can be inherited'. When we create, we develop our own color palette and we take our time to develop each garment."
They chose wool as the local raw material and started developing a product with identity; in Uruguay there are less than 4 million people and more than 7 million sheep, making Uruguay's wool one of the best in the world. Also, since the wool production is all done locally, it is very easy to experiment with color and texture very early on in the design process, allowing more control over the material and the creation of each garment.When they aren't at work, Ana and Fernando like to do outdoor activities with their son and to be in contact with nature.
They also enjoy going to art exhibitions and being in contact with creative minds. They have participate in many educational programs where they open the doors of their studio to students, and teach them about their design process and techniques, as well as encouraging them to experiment and create their own designs. Ana and Fernando strongly believe in an ethical and responsible 'consumption' of fashion, understanding the importance of the work of all the people involved in the process.