Why did you leave Ecuador for London?

I love London, it is a city that always hypnotised me. I came to live in London more than one year ago because I feel it is one of those perfect places to experience a new life and is ideal for me to develop my profession – there are many opportunities.  I always search for a historical aspect to the places where I walk, and find a lot of inspiration.

Is there an Ecuadorian community in London?

Yes, there is a very large Ecuadorian community in London. I am more connected to communities based in South East London, where I live. I am involved with a group known as Nueva Generacion, which is a workshop for Latin American people who raise awareness of social issues, stimulating change and promoting our culture.

Do you know of any Ecuadorian places to visit in London?

Around Elephant and Castle there are some very good restaurants and shops specialising in Ecuadorian food. On the weekend at La Tienda Latina in the shopping centre you can taste typical food. And there are some very good live bands on the weekend at Costa Azul restaurant and Parrilladas del Sur on Old Kent Road.

How would you describe your designs? Are influenced by Ecuador?

My designs are a reflection of my vision of the Andean world view. In Ecuador we have many ethnic groups which provide a colourful magic and allegory in their traditional costumes and handicrafts.

I like that people are not dressed for reasons of fashion or trend – clothing is something that identifies each individual. So I don’t repeat my designs, they are each unique.

How can people buy your clothes?

I sell my work online and to individual customers. My work includes designing and making tailored suits, cocktail dresses, wedding dresses, luxury dresses – all to suit an individual style and made with the highest quality.  

What do you hope to do next?

I’m currently working on the release of my autumn/winter collection for stores that sell work of independent fashion designers in London. I’m also working on a project called Almas del Cuarto Oscuro (Souls of the Darkroom) with Fotosynthesis,  which is a community project founded by a group of photographers.

Where else can you find Ecuadorian culture in London? Tell us in the comments below.

You can see theatre in some pretty amazing places in London. The National Theatre’s brutalist exterior is breathtaking; under the arches at Shunt you can be transported into another world; I might’ve mentioned how much I enjoy The Globe somewhere before; summer drama in the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park is makes for a fantastically romantic evening…

But more often than not, if you see theatre in London, you’re likely to be in a fairly traditional auditorium.

The Royal Court is hoping to change all that. This week, they’ve announced they’re taking over a shop in the Elephant & Castle shopping centre in South East London.

It’s certainly a long way (in more than distance terms!) from their usual swanky Sloane Square residence.

The project, called Theatre Local sees Royal Court plays transfer to Units 215/216 at the Elephant & Castle shopping centre. The space seats 80, tickets cost £8: the idea is to build a new audience, one that would probably never buy a ticket for the Royal Court in Sloane Square.

The “season” opens with a three-week run of random by debbie tucker green (she doesn’t like capital letters). And this show will be followed by three Jerwood Theatre Upstairs shows from the Royal Court’s current season – Disconnect, The Empire, and Spur of The Moment – each of which will transfer for a short run.  

Dominic Cooke, artistic director of the Royal Court, says,

“Theatre Local takes Royal Court plays to the heart of a community that may not otherwise get the chance to see our work. It forms an integral part of our ambition to create unpredictable relationships between new plays and audiences.

“We felt Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre was the perfect base for us to start this venture.  It sits at the centre of one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in Europe and we are looking forward to forging links with local people and welcoming new audiences to see our shows.

“Experiencing these four very different plays in the bustling environment of a shopping centre should be a thrilling and invigorating experience for everyone involved.

“We hope it will contribute to creating a new generation of audiences for the Court, both at our home in Sloane Square and beyond.”

There’s more exciting stuff coming to the Royal Court in the coming weeks too.  With two blockbusters (Enron and Jerusalem) currently playing in the West End, and the above project kicking off, you’d think they’d be pausing for breath. Not so. Both Off The Endz (starring the lovely Ashley Walters) and Posh (which sounds terrifying) are currently booking on site, and both sound fantastic. I hope it’s going to be another great year for the theatre.

Check out the Off The Endz trailer here: