Bionda Castana founders, Natalia Barbieri and Jennifer Portman, have been fortunate in their careers to have met wonderful people with wonderful stories. Our #interview series, “The Influencers :: Contagious Creativity”, #celebrates and opens #conversation with said magnificent #friends.
Today we speak to #entrepreneur, founder of Avenue32 and #streetstyle sensation, Roberta Benteler. Roberta curates a compelling mix of emerging and established designers each season to showcase just how exciting and ‘non vanilla’ the fashion industry is with her impeccable eye. Who impresses her? Find out below ::
NB :: Tell us about your journey to where you are now as an entrepreneur.
RB :: It’s been 5 years since I started Avenue 32, but feels like a lifetime in all the best ways. I almost cannot remember what life was like before and wouldn’t want to live without the challenges and moments of success running your own business brings with it. Being an entrepreneur is a lesson for life. You are faced with so many new challenges every day and the stress never gets any less, but this taught me to stay calm, embrace the challenges and put things in perspective.
NB :: Do you have a proudest achievement in particular?
RB :: To have been able to build such a fantastic, strong and motivated team. They are what makes Avenue 32 a success.
NB :: What makes you angry?
RB :: Dishonesty and the traffic on Euston Road on my way home to North London.
NB :: What is the most surprising way you express your creativity?
RB :: Surprising to me, because it is a recent discovery, is the fact that I love to write.
NB :: Who impresses you?
RB :: My mother, because she is always right. She will often tell me something I might disagree with or where I believe otherwise and it will always, without exception turn out that she was right. She is a wise woman.
NB :: Dream collaboration?
RB :: Celine for Avenue 32.
NB :: Talk us through your journey or process when you are developing a new idea.
RB :: To be honest with you I just go with my gut feeling. Sometimes it is hard to justify with others, but if the gut feeling is really strong, it has never let me down.
