This week I talked with fashion designer Andre Soriano, who appeared on Bravo's reality TV series Styled to Rock, hosted by Rihanna. Andre is one of the industry's hottest up-and-coming designers everyone's buzzing about. Andre, who has been featured in Italian Vogue, left L.A. Fashion Week audiences speechless and amazed with his runway show. His vision is inspired by Old Hollywood glamor. Through his career in design, he has embraced the idea that "fashion is freedom."
I talked to Andre about life after Styled to Rock and his spin on LGBT issues. When asked about his personal commitment to LGBT civil rights, he stated:
I love LGBT, and I have always supported the lesbian, gay, transgender community, and bisexual as well. We did a fashion show a long time ago where it supported kids to be positive that it's OK to be gay and everything, so I'm an avid supporter, and at the pride parade in San Diego, which is really great to support that cause. In 2014, now that marriage is out in the open, I think people are more acceptable. Of course, there are still different areas, just like how everyone is staring at me because I'm wearing high heels right now. It's quite interesting, because I think it's a little more accepting now, but a lot of young people, especially just like me growing up in the South, need mentors and stuff. I never really had that, so in this position I like to mentor the young kids in the LGBT community. Sometimes in San Diego I will volunteer and just go out and support the younger generation as well.
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Andre Soriano was born in the Philippines and gravitated toward fashion as a way of expressing himself after moving to America as a child. Recently he organized and participated in a fashion show benefit for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. Currently he's designing couture for celebrities attending the 86th Academy Awards in March. Andre's fashion mantra is "peace, love, glamor and fashion!"
For more information on Andre Soriano, visit andresoriano.com.
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