The body is my canvas

Andres Pelaez recently graduated from the Iceland Academy of the Arts with a BA degree in fashion. He moved from Guatemala to Iceland in 2012 and says that the past three years have been quite a journey.

Being from Guatemala, where earthquakes are very common, Andrés Peláez wasn‘t alarmed when the earth shook under his feet on the day he arrived in Iceland to live and study, on August 30th 2012. „I just thought it was the country saying hi to me,“ he says smiling.

And the country has welcomed him so warmly that he has no intension of moving away after his graduation next month, where he‘ll be awarded a BA degree in Fashion Design from the Iceland Academy of the Arts (i. LHÍ).

But how did he end up in Iceland, studying fashion design?

“My ambition is to get an internship at some of the big fashion houses that I love, either in London or Paris.” - Andres Pelaez.
“My ambition is to get an internship at some of the big fashion houses that I love, either in London or Paris.” – Andres Pelaez.

“In 2011, I was going on a vacation to Iceland but as I was researching for my trip, I started looking into the Fashion Design bachelor’s programme at the Academy so I brought my portfolio with me. I even skipped the Blue Lagoon on that trip to go for an interview at the Academy.”

Andrés’ application was accepted so he was able to begin his studies the following year.

He laughs, knowing it sounds just a tad crazy. “My parents were a little bit shocked about the place I chose, and that I didn’t want to go to one of the fashion capitals in the world but when I showed them the programme, they understood. And then they visited Iceland and loved it, even though it was February!”

He says he liked the programme at the Academy. “Because it’s very competitive, considering what‘s on offer out there, and very up to date. Some of the courses there I haven‘t seen in other programmes so LHÍ has a lot to offer. But the most important thing for me was that it‘s more artistic than influenced by international trends, more creative than commercial.”

Our interview is interrupted by a courier delivering documents that Andrés and his boyfriend have been waiting for. “Ah, yes. Today, we’re registering for cohabitation,” Andrés says, beaming. A big step so now, I want to know more about this boyfriend, Siggi.

“His full name is Sigurður Júlíus Guðmundsson,” Andrés says almost flawlessly. “And he works in IT, but he’s also very much an activist and is actually former vice president of Samtökin ’78 (e. The National Queer Organization).”

In fact, the two of them met at one of the Samtökin’s organized events shortly after Andrés moved to Iceland and have been living together for almost two years. “We‘re opposites, I don‘t know anything about computers and media and he, although he has an understanding of fashion, is not much involved in it so at the end of the day we don’t talk about work, which is great!”

Still, we need to talk about fashion and design. “Soon after I started my studies, I discovered that my designs are very influenced by architecture. My BA thesis is actually about similar practices in fashion and architecture and my graduation collection is inspired by 1950’s couture designers and modern architecture, where I like the structure and clean, smooth surfaces.”

Andrés says that if he hadn’t become a fashion designer, he very likely would have become an architect. He agrees with what has often been said, that Iceland lacks architecture but he still loves some of the latest designs, such as Harpa concert hall and he shows me a book by his new, favourite architect, Pálmar Kristmundsson who designed e.g. Höfðatorg and a building called Árbrog, which was one of the inspirations for Andrés’ clothes designs.

Noteworthy about Andrés’ designs is that they don’t reveal much flesh, in times when there’s constant debate about how revealing and daring clothes should or shouldn’t be.

“I would say two things about that. First, I create clothes for women and see the body as a canvas that I create clothes on. I wouldn’t want to disrespect the human body by flashing it. Second, I try to keep in mind the person I’m designing the clothes for, who is she? And then try to create something for her. So, the body is my canvas and I create on it, without making the body an actual part of the collection.”

“Being gay in Guatemala is still a taboo…I told my brother a few years before I came here and he was very supportive…My father didn’t talk to me for two months afterwards…”

Andrés has settled well in here but is still open to going abroad to further his career. “My ambition is to get an internship at some of the big fashion houses that I love, either in London or Paris. I would also like to study a bit more, specialize in something but that would have to be somewhere else, in one of the fashion capitals.”

For now though, he’s happy where he is. “Basically, it’s just easier to be gay here in Iceland. Being gay in Guatemala is still a taboo thing, even though the society is getting better and it’s not dangerous or anything. And I was lucky enough to have great, supportive friends. I told my brother a few years before I came here and he was very supportive and we actually grew closer because we could finally be completely honest with each other.”

But it wasn’t until Andrés had moved to Iceland that he came out to his parents. “I did it in summer 2013, and it was difficult, I admit. I’m not sure if they knew it but didn’t want me to confirm it. Also, we’re Catholics so it was a bit tricky. But I wanted to share this part of my life with them, I never talk about them having to accept it because I don’t need their approval. My father didn’t talk to me for two months afterwards but we’ve come a long way and now they’re fine with it.”

They even visited Iceland again last Christmas and met Siggi. “Just a few days before they arrived, they asked especially whether they could meet him, so they did and they really liked him. At the end of their stay, we had a big dinner with both our families and I almost needed someone to pinch me when I looked around and saw them all together. And my parents have said: “We‘re so happy you‘ve created your life here, it‘s so much better than the life you would have had in Guatemala,“ so I consider myself very lucky. ”

The graduation from the Academy takes place on 20 June; two years, nine months and 20 days since that earthquake greeted Andrés. Perhaps it was an omen of how Iceland would shake up his life?

“Everything I‘ve done in the last two, three years, I see it as a journey. And a lot has happened but the biggest change is that my entire life has become a little bit more relaxed since then.”

Photos (except the upper one of Andres): Birta Rán Björgvinsdóttir

Á. Óskarsson
Á. Óskarsson

Á. Óskarsson offers a variety of products and services to sports centers, swimming pools, schools, kindergartens, and the general public. The company specializes in sport-related products, activity-focused games, and a wide range of solutions for sports facilities.

Á. Óskarsson has been involved in numerous big projects related to building sports facilities and has made it their benchmark to offer good quality products and equipment since the company was founded.

See links to social media in the upper left-hand corner

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Á. Óskarsson selur fjölbreytt vöruúrval fyrir íþróttahús, sundlaugar, skóla og leikskóla og einnig ýmsar vörur til einkaafnota. Fyrirtækið selur vörur til íþróttaiðkunnar og leikja ásamt því að bjóða upp á ýmsar lausnir fyrir íþróttamannvirki.

Á. Óskarsson hefur komið að fjölda stórra verkefna við byggingu íþróttamannvirkja og hefur frá stofnun kappkostað að bjóða vandaðar og endingargóðar vörur.

Tenglar á samfélagsmiðla eru í efra horninu vinstra megin.

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        With over 4,300 employees in 39 offices around the world, at Nasdaq we all contribute to the success of the company and its culture, and each one of us has the ability to make a difference. When it comes to our core mission and values, we embrace the role of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) as a fundamental driver of our corporate growth, workplace culture and market development. We strive to create a culture that embraces the power of different perspectives—a culture where people’s unique backgrounds and different experiences helps us fuel innovation and support our clients around the world.

        Our unique position at the center of the capital markets allows us to see firsthand how these values have redefined corporate culture and success, deepening and accelerating our own commitment to champion inclusive growth and prosperity, as we strive to create more equitable opportunities to help people of all backgrounds reach their full potential. Most notably, we published our diversity statistics for the first time in 2020. These metrics serve as a quantitative assessment of where we are today and help determine what strategies we need to adopt to enhance diversity in the workplace. We recognize that we have much work to do, but we are steadfast in our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive culture—one that reflects the communities in which we live, allows all employees to be their true, authentic selves and fosters individual growth and achievement.

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        From its humble beginnings in the shadows of a geothermal power plant, Blue Lagoon has evolved into a world of wonder, now encompassing two hotels, three restaurants, three
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        Achieving harmony with the volcanic landscape, the lagoon and its surrounding architecture embody the unification of the man-made and the natural, and adhere to the highest principles of sustainability.

        The Blue Lagoon. A wonder of the world. A world of wonder.

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        VSÓ Ráðgjöf

           

          VSÓ Ráðgjöf er alhliða ráðgjafar- og verkfræðifyrirtæki sem leggur áherslu á trausta og faglega þjónustu sem tryggir viðskiptavinum hagkvæmustu lausnir hverju sinni, skilar raunverulegum árangri og stuðlar að samkeppnisforskoti.  Á skrifstofum VSÓ í Reykjavík og í Noregi starfar yfir 80 manna samhentur hópur verkfræðinga og annarra tæknimenntaðra starfsmanna.

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          Our Story
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          This is our secret and you are in on it

          You can read more about Ísey skyr on our website.

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