Fashion designer Mārtiņš Pūpols, who announced himself to the general public already at the age of 18, organizing his first fashion show, admits that fashion is still close to his heart. With the determination, perseverance and talent to create beautiful things, which once allowed him to fulfill his dream of studying at the fashion university “Istituto Marangoni” in Milan, today Mārtiņš Pūpols has expanded the boundaries of the world of beauty and has been the development manager of the Spanish cosmetics brand “mesoestetic” in the Baltic countries for a year.
Further towards the world of beauty
“For the last five years, I have been working quite seriously in the field of beauty care. Everything started even before the pandemic – with businessmen I knew in Italy, who, knowing that I speak Italian well, offered me to become the marketing and commercial director of the international company “Mashup Haircare System” in the Baltic States,” says Mārtiņš Pūpols, who once worked at the “Ístituto Marangoni” in Milan studied brand management.
«MashUp» presented itself on the market not only as a brand of professional hair care products, but also as a business support system for beauty salons, starting with the improvement of salon design, the growth of international masters, customer service techniques, up to products collected in a diverse range of hair treatments.
“But the beginning was not easy at all. The Italian couple who invited me to cooperate had a child, and they no longer had the opportunity to go to Latvia. I was left alone with all the products, and I had to learn everything by myself – enter the market with all the information completely from scratch. It was difficult, but interesting at the same time,” Mārtiņš admits. For three years, he actively created cooperation with salons throughout the Baltics, getting to know the masters and concluding cooperation agreements, until covid stopped it.
“The Italians understood that they had to take a break, but in the meantime I looked further in the direction of the world of beauty. And then came an offer from the skin care brand «mesoestetic» – to help stabilize the market of the Baltic countries. The plans are quite ambitious, and I find it exciting,” says the development manager of “mesoestetic” in the Baltic States. He reveals that more emphasis is currently being placed on Estonia, where a brand representative office, store, salon has just been opened and more and more collaborations are being planned.
Course work for the Louis Vuitton house
It is interesting why, after graduating from such a prestigious fashion university, Mārtiņš did not stay in Milan.
«In my time in Italy, I had various collaborations – internships in prestigious fashion houses both as a student and later as a graduate of a fashion university. I was lucky enough to get to know the kitchens of various fashion houses, for example, I had the opportunity to spend time in the houses of Valentino, Armani, Ferre, Christian Lacroix, get to know the designers of Louis Vuitton in Paris and also with the two men of Dolce&Gabbana in their studio in Milan. . I had developed a course work – a collection of men’s clothing for the house «Louis Vuitton», and I had a unique opportunity to meet the designers of the house to present this work. They complimented the style and gave valuable suggestions. I managed to outline the trends of the coming years, which were also ordered by fashion houses and also the brand “Zara”. In order to show my perspective on the next season’s trends, I was also invited by the Armani house. I had also sent my sketches to «Christian Lacroix» and «Dior» fashion houses, for which I received a positive written review from their stylists. Well, what more could I want?! Of course, it was interesting for me to enter the big fashion houses and create something in their style, listen to their advice and see how it happens. It was a great experience for me, but without financial compensation. Of course, at first it was a pleasure to have such an opportunity at all, but you won’t be satisfied with only praise for a good job,” says Mārtiņš Pūpols, adding that it happened two years after graduating from university.
“Stenders” offered more
“It was 2007, and there was a certain crisis in the fashion world – legal proceedings began at Dolce&Gabbana, Gianfranco Ferre died, Valentino left the fashion industry to retire… And the big fashion houses are already cunning – they don’t want to take on young designers, don’t want to pay, because you are ready to go there and do everything, and you are happy that someone listens to you. But in order for me to be able to live there, to go to interviews, I needed funds, and I didn’t have them,” explains the talented fashion designer, adding that it is not the super talented who survive there, but those who can actually afford to live and work there. Also without holidays.
“The years of study in Milan were not the easiest, I was so tired that I just wanted to breathe more freely. But what I managed to enjoy in Milan was very interesting and useful. It was quite an adventure!” concludes Mārtiņš Pūpols today.
He returned to Latvia because he was offered a better salary here with the education of a brand manager he had obtained in Milan. “What I would earn in Milan would only be enough to survive. “Stenders” offered me more.”
Later, there were several more companies that Mārtiņš helped to develop marketing and create design, until he created and started developing his own company – «Dreamhill Solutions» («dreamhill.lv»), which offers advertising creation, website development (e-store design and maintenance), creative design solutions and social media administration service.
Could still surprise the world
But Mārtiņš’s heart is still fashion. Sophisticated wedding dresses, luxurious stage costumes and gorgeous evening dresses – they have always been there. He fills his free time with them. He probably inherited his passion and talent for making dresses from his great-grandmother Anna Alidas Sams, a graduate of the famous Kaucminde school, who in the 1930s was one of the best craftsmen in the Baltics and made dresses for high society ladies of that time, including the Latvian press queen Emīlija Benjamiņa. Also, Mārtiņas’ mother and mother have always sewn clothes.
«I like to work on details – with lace, embroideries, stones. During Kovid, Omi and I experimented with knitting, crocheting, and I realized that handicrafts are a niche in which we could still surprise the world. I have my own perspective on how to incorporate them into wedding dresses, evening wear and create something that cannot be bought anywhere. Only in my family there are not so many ladies who knit and crochet, I lack hands, so I am open to cooperation – talented knitters and crocheters can certainly contact me on social media. Let’s think about how we can create great things together,” the fashion designer invites.
He reveals that he will probably open an online shop of his dresses next year and offer them to ladies all over the world. “Artificial intelligence has changed everything a lot – now, by precisely specifying your parameters, you can see 1:1 how the dress will look on your back. That’s why the idea of an “online” store came about, because when I receive remote orders, I’ve already figured out what materials, what parameters, what nuances are essential for the dress to fit even without trying it on.”
Mārtiņš adds that he would also like to create clothing for men, but there is a lack of seamstresses with whom to establish serious cooperation. “I studied men’s fashion in Italy, it was long time ago to offer something to men as well. I also know what gentlemen need today and what they would stand in line for, but – I’ll start with dresses.”
Don’t hide behind fashion
When starting cooperation with “mesoestetic”, Mārtiņas, as a creative person, has many ideas on how to connect cosmetics with fashion. This fall, he had organized the “Skin & Fashion” event for the brand’s cooperation partners – a presentation of the latest products, which was complemented by a fashion show of his gorgeous dresses. And the motto of the event was “Don’t hide yourself behind fashion”. In this way, he wanted to draw attention to the fact that there are solutions for skin problems and you don’t have to hide behind clothes.
“Before I became the development manager of “mesoestetic”, I did not use professional cosmetics and did not know much about it. But after getting to the product manufacturing factory in Spain and realizing that I will have to sell these beauty products, I have started using them and getting to know them,” Mārtiņš smiles and says that he also has ideas to offer, for example, to brides who sew his wedding dress . These are various pre-wedding treatments that will make the bride look even more stunning. For example, for the face and décolleté area. Also, the groom and the couple of ushers can get treatments that will give a healthy glow to the facial skin.
“Before, I would not have even thought about it, but by cooperating with dermatologists, I have already learned this – how to solve various skin problems (pigmentation, rosacea, acne), which may also appear on the face and body under the influence of stress before the wedding. And not only for women.”
2023-12-07 17:16:30
#Mārtiņš #Pūpols
