Skirts, t-shirts, trousers, dresses… our protagonist of today has been working as a professional of the design and fashion world since 1999. A lot has happened since then. Pilar has become, for a lot of people, a reference in Bilbao and surroundings in the design sector and, above all, in the illustration design. Don’t you know her already? Wait a little bit and you’ll see. I encourage you to keep reading this post.
Since 1999, when she started her studies in Fashion Design and Styling in the Casco Viejo of Bilbao, until today (May 2017), the professional (and personal) world of Pilar de Miota has given more than a spin (some of them unexpected, by the way). In addition to being the mother of Elsa (6 years old) and Sara (almost 3 years old), which is already a plus, as a professional of the design sector Pilar has been a designer in companies such as Inditex, Hakei or Ginkana; she has made various clothing items and some parts of collections for well-known fashion firms; and she has been at top fairs in India, Paris, London, New York, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Milan. That has allowed her to have a vision of the world, of fashion and of design that many of us would like to have.
Looking for more infomation about Pilar, one day I read the following in a blog:
“At school, she was the one who designed the costumes for carnival, which then she herself sewed. She also painted some big-headed girls who were nothing more than her rocker version on paper. She had exquisite delicacy on canvas, which I did not discover until very late in our friendship. She modified clothes and wore bell-bottoms when all of us wore Levi’s. And she made t-shirts and necklaces, which she later sold in shops of her town.”
For me, that attitude is the one of an entrepreneur, this is, witty, creative, proactive, active, dreamy, risky and innovative person. These traits, and more, are the ones that characterize Pilar, who, with no doubt, has always liked design. That is why, when in 2013 the company (Ginkana) in which she had been working for the last 5 years closed, our protagonist started looking for a job as a fashion designer. In fact that was what she had been doing and what, in theory, she liked. She knew it was not going to be easy, and she was right. That same year, Pilar took the decision to reconsider her life and “look for her North.”
Although our entrepreneur woman began her new career designing clothes that she would like to find in stores (bohemian, vintage, simple but at the same time distinguished and elegant), this type of design evolved to what today is Miota. Founded officially in 2016, Miota is a brand with its own name focused on illustration and in which the person is the main protagonist. I’m sure that some of you will recognize her illustrations in some wedding invitation, first communion keepsake, business card, personalized painting, showcase or birthday party, because Pilar’s illustrations are suitable for everyone and very accessible.
While talking to her a couple of days ago, a sentence a student from one of the Masters offered by the Institute of Leisure Studies at the University of Deusto, Borja Gómez García, shared with me some months ago sprang to mind. It is related to creativity and also to one of the characteristics that defines Pilar very well:
“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun” (Mary Lou Cook)
Like Pilar, we also like nice and well done things. Thank you for your designs and your illustrations. We hope to continue discovering you day after day and to see how you keep reinventing yourself. And as you say: “keep looking, and if there isn’t, make it up.” The most important thing is to feel good and enjoy the things you do. It is one of your secrets.
If you want to contact Pilar, you have it very easy, you can do it through Facebook (@miotailustracion) or through Instagram (@_miota_), and enjoy knowing her work closely.
Enjoy the week.
Translated by María Ubierna Quintanilla and supervised by Arantza Arruti.