Born in Marchena ( Seville), Charo Ruíz is one of the best known designers in the Island. After spending some years in Barcelona she moved out to Ibiza by the end of 70's, both her husband and her started a new life together. After some seasons tailoring "pronto moda" to be sold on flea market, eventually destiny and motherhood changed her business into a more professionalized activity.

It became more industrialized and ended up being one of the most restigions fashion firms in Ibiza, moreover it has taken part of the Adlis runways for the past years.
At present, her designs are comercialized in many countries around Europe, such as Greece, Italy or France. Although it's been 20 years since she first started in the fashion world, Charo Ruíz still keeps her creative skill and innovates collection after collection. Her designs bound both elegance and romanticism with a young and provocative spirit, which make her clothes suitable for any age.

What are your first memories from the first years in the island?
Those where very entertaining years when the island was in it's peak of tourism development,. Eduardo ( my husband) and I, used to make outfits with matching shirt and trousers and we would sell them in "Es Canar".
They dissapeared straight away. It was funny to see how both a father and a mother, even the children, bought the outfits and walked out all dressing the same way.

How did you move from this kind of clothes into desing world?
Ch: After my start selling “pronto moda” .I had the chance to design a cotton dresses collection. A friend of mine offered me a good material with a reasonable prize. I decided to take advantage of it. I tried doing something a bit different, so I dyed and creased the dresses, the collection soon broke off the old tendencies; soon after that, and when my daughter was born, me and my husband decided to profesionalize and create a company.

What is your inspiration when it comes to designing a new dress or a new collection?.
Actually I don't have a clear inspiration besides from the own creation source. Once I have choosen the fabric, then I look for inspiration and possibilities. If the clothes purpose is a runway I can always show something more creative and daring . I always try to make up suitable outfits for any age. Definitelly, I love making up clothes that fit well and enhace the women's feminity.

Do you have a favourite designer?
I´m not the kind of person who admires other people. I focus my attention in this master’s creations, but not in their names.

As a designer Charo, do you think that with the retirement of Yves Saint Laurent , we are living the funreral of high coture.
Frankly I don't think so.... It is true that high coture has very little purcharsers. Not many people can reach this life standard and purchasing power, but as the Art, it will have bad and good moments, but it will never die. Moreover, it is the reference for all the pret-a-porter , and the general tendency in clothing, it is silly to belive that it has reached the end.

How do you see the situation with fashion in the island?.
We seem to be living a resurgence of Ibiza fashion. Eventhough during 90's the industry suffered from a certain crisis, nowadays the 70's tendecy and the Adlib fashion is in it's peak and are an inspiration for great tailors in international runways, these could mean an incentive for a bigger development in the island fashion.

What are Charo Ruiz´s planns for this season?
This season I have designed a collection for the Mu Le Ke firm; it reproduces my adult designs in kid´s sizes.

Besides from the white clothes being in fashion, which colors will be part in spring-summer 2002?
Well, in spring there will be pastel colors, blues and light beiges. Facing the summer the colors are intensified and more defined including white, we´ll have bright colors, speccialy purple and lilac.

Which accesories should we never forget before going out? The purse, The belt...
This summer? The earrings. The return of ethnic and hippie tendencies gives us a striking imitation jewelery with long and flamboyant earrings.