Meet Denise Fócil of AS by DF/ ASTARS in Torrance

Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Fócil.

Denise, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born in Ecuador and raised here in L.A. I attended Tufts University where I studied International Relations and Economics. I returned to LA to pursue my dream in fashion, and after graduating from The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, I moved to Italy to begin my career at Alpinestars. I was actually initially responsible for designing women’s motorcycle jackets but my true passion lies in women’s contemporary fashion, so I quickly moved into the role of creating AS by DF & ASTARS.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to travel and see different cultures. I always say Travel, Travel, Travel. I am inspired by what I see around me when I am exploring new cultures. Women inspire me, their strength, how bold they are. My goal is to make clothes that can live up to women’s standards. We are all after all, pretty damn cool.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been a really fun ride, full of ups, downs & all the adrenaline you can imagine. I would definitely not call my road a smooth road, but it’s been a fun road- I don’t believe that any road in fashion is a smooth road & I don’t think smooth roads bring the most satisfaction. I am a firm believer that the best things in life are worth working for. This has been my labor of love for the past ten years.

Please tell us about AS by DF/ ASTARS.
As a designer, I had one goal ten years ago when I started designing: to make the perfect leather jacket. AS by DF features high-end leather and suede styles complemented by beautiful ready-to-wear pieces. Our target customer is a woman of any age from anywhere in the world, but we know one thing- she is the leader of the pack. Her friends look up to her, she embraces ideas, she is open-minded.

Our pieces are unique, we believe in slow fashion & we produce limited runs of everything we make. We want every woman to be unique & every piece she buys from our line to live in her closet forever. We aim to be the be building blocks of a closet, not the pieces that get cleaned up each season. We have a cultish fan base, our styles sell out fast- it’s exciting to see how loyal & obsessed our customers are when a new line comes out! This is what fuels me as a designer!

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had a time machine & I could go back to when I first started Fashion University- I would go back & intern for as many fashion brands as I could. I would learn how other companies do it, take in as much experience as possible from other brands. It would have saved me time to have learned from others mistakes. I always give young fashion professionals the same advice- GO & DO as many internships as you can during college!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.asbydf.com/
• Phone: 310-891-0222
• Email: [email protected]

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