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- DIALOGS
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DIALOGS WITH CATERINA PÉREZ - LA VORA
CATERINA IN HER SEWING SCHOOL "LA VORA"
Caterina Pérez was born in Sant Cugat, Spain, in 1978. After studying performing arts at the Theater Institute, she decided to train in the world of fashion. Since then, she has been linked to the textile and imagery world, creating her own brand of accessories, designing wardrobes, and working as a stylist and art director for photography projects.
In 2016 she made the decision to start writing, studying at the Ateneu School of Writing and publishing some short stories.
Today, Caterina has opened her own sewing school, La Vora, in Sant Cugat where she shares her love for fashion and sewing with her students.
SELECTING PATTERNS IN THE SCHOOL
Upon seeing your biography, we realized how multifaceted and multi-talented you are, and how you’ve always been in touch with culture, words, and different trades. After studying and working in the world of fashion, what pushed you to dive into writing?
Well actually, fashion is also a way of telling stories. Just like writing. We use clothing to display the stories of who we are, or who we want to be, while also projecting a state of mind, values, a whole world. With writing, even if you write fiction, you are also expressing your story, your state of mind, and your world. So I believe the two are very closely connected.
Even so, what led me to see that fashion and writing go hand-in-hand was something simple: I used to have a bag and accessories brand and, after dedicating five years to the project, I realized that what I loved most was describing the process, telling the stories behind each piece either in writing or through photography. So I decided to enroll in the Barcelona Ateneu School of Writing. And a whole world opened up for me.
Now that my life involves both writing and sewing classes, it is fascinating to me how stories and sewing complement each other. In the end, spinning a tale is a lot like sewing, to creating a garment, because groups of women sewing together have long been the source of many stories, where everyday life and inner thoughts spontaneously come together.
DETAILS FROM "LA VORA", THE SCHOOL THAT CATERINA LEADS
We’ve read your stories in Núvol and in Kireei, the publication from our lovely Cristina. What inspires you when you sit down to write?
I can’t point to anything specifically because writing is, for me, a way of looking at things.
As for the stories you mentioned, or the stories in the book “Ruderals,” they are very playful. They are a testing ground for some of the tools that writing offers you.
I suppose writing is a way of breaking away from myself, of focusing in on the little things in life, or a way of traveling. For me, writing a story is a lot like molding a clay bowl; you have to shape it and then let it rest, imbuing it with the essence of your experience in the moment. The music you are listening to, or the books you are reading... in one way or another all of that also steeps into the bowl, like little secrets hidden within its structure.
PREPARING THE SEWING MACHINE
Sewing has always been a part of your life, both work-wise and as a calling. Where did you get the idea to open your sewing school, La Vora, in Sant Cugat? What inspired you?
I had been teaching sewing classes for over ten years, so I knew I liked it. I enjoy teaching classes, watching, growing, giving, learning, and trying to find the best way to offer useful content. And I love the social aspect: being around people, feeding off of one another and taking care of each other (something which never happens with writing, it’s so solitary!). So suddenly I felt the need to set up my own project, gather all my experience from over the years and create my own bespoke school, which could grow and match my own rhythm of life.
What values do you promote at La Vora? Do you think sewing can be a form of expression?
Absolutely. And of independence as well! In other words, nothing brings more satisfaction than being self-sufficient for the basic aspects of life, and dressing is one of them.
In recent years, at La Vora, I’ve been trying to highlight the concept of patience. Which is very much related to sewing, or to sewing well. People often sign up for sewing with the idea of tranquility, of doing something properly. But when it comes down to it, I see how hard it is to step away from the consumer impulse to produce a lot of pieces that are fast and easy with no regard for the finishing touches. At La Vora, we work on slowing down that rhythm, on understanding that perhaps we don’t need so many pieces of clothing, that it is worth the time to learn more challenging techniques, and to focus all our senses on what we are creating. Fast and easy things can be made at home, but at La Vora we take things slower and farther.
Beyond sewing, La Vora offers something else: A feeling of community, of companionship. Sewing together is an age-old activity, and groups can come together on their own, but the school is conceived to do this in a more concise manner (fixed quarterly groups, table layouts, etc.). The co-existence of multiple generations within the group, that is particularly enriching and beautiful to see.
CATERINA IRONING A PIECE OF FABRIC
CHOOSING THREADS
What stage in the process of creating a piece do you enjoy most?
I would say that the search for and choice of material is a brilliant moment. You unfurl your capacity to be creative and honest with yourself about your abilities, but also your ability to surprise yourself and to be flexible. You start to shape something out of nothing. The moment when a piece really starts to take shape is also quite thrilling; you start to catch the first glimpses of what it will be, and it can turn out great or not so great. But I don’t think there is a specific “stage” that I enjoy more than the others, rather I enjoy those moments when all your senses are focused in on a backstitch, or on ironing, as if you were in a dialog with the material. When that happens, your piece is sure to turn out well.
Get to know La Vora school in Sant Cugat.