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s For this interview we have being lucky enough to count with Maria Soraia da Silva Nascimento (Soraia), a Brazilian citizen who moved to Madrid just over half a year who works in the fashion industry.

Hi Soraia, tell us a bit about yourself and where do you come from,

Hi, I’m from a city called Fortaleza in the state of Ceara in North-western Brazil.  It’s a coastal town with some lovely beaches and popular holiday spot for European tourists (mainly Spanish, Portuguese and Italian) plus tourisrs from the rest of South America.

What is it that brought you to Madrid?

Initially when I left Brazil I moved to Portugal.  I went there to start a new life with my husband who is Portuguese.  However the job offers in the fashion industry in Portugal are quite limited and so we decided to move here to Madrid.  In Brazil the fashion sector is huge and generates a vast amount of money for the local economy creating numerous jobs in this industry.  We came here to Madrid because the fashion sector is more developed than in Portugal and fortunately my husband soon found a job as an industrial engineer for Airbus.  The fashion sector has many positive sides to it but unfortunately there is also an ugly side to it which we have to deal with.  You have to have enough maturity and will power not to fall into its corruption.

How long have you being living here?

I’ve being here now for seven months.  Prior to that I was briefly living in Barcelona.  I live in Cuatro Caminos in Bravo Murillo.  It’s quite a multicultural neighbourhood in Madrid, especially very popular within the Latin American community.  What I have noticed is that despite there seems to be a reasonable co-habitation of the different communities in this barrio; they are not fully integrated as one big Latin American community.  For example, a Peruvian citizen of Cuatro Caminos may share his vicinity with citizens from Ecuador or Venezuela peacefully and in a friendly manner but when it comes to social relations each tend to stick to their own or at least that’s being my initial perception.

Tell us a bit of where you work.

I am a make up artist of models.  I do this freelance.  The job market within the fashion industry here in Madrid is quite different to the one in Brazil.  Here you work a lot with intermediate styling agencies whereas in Brazil it’s the photographer who has more authority when it comes to choosing his make up crew since he knows better what he’s looking for.  It’s quite off-putting sometimes to see the amount of obstacles a professional my encounter when pursuing a career in the fashion sector.  Styling agencies demand strictly that you have an official title as a make up artist which has being validated here in Spain.  It even seems to rule out any valid professional experience you may have previously or if your portfolio of previous works is good enough.  I have noticed that despite being a market full of possibilities it is also quite a closed one.  In order to get in sometimes you need social influences or “enchufes” in the sector. 

Recently I have successfully completed a cosmetics course with MacCosmetique, one of the most prestigious and important companies in its sector where they give amazing courses for professionals.  The director Baltazar Gonzalez Pinet is the main person running these courses and the vision he has of fashion, of make up and aesthetics is truly inspiring.  He is also a hard working and dedicated professional who does not hesitate to believe in young people who have just arrived into this sector.

Tell us a bit of your experiences and opinions you have of Madrid

The first thing I noticed of Madrid is the endless variety of night life it has.  Madrid truly lives and enjoys its nights.  I’m not a regular nocturnal person but its positive to have to live in a city with this much life and vitality.  There is a huge offer of touristic spots to visit in the city during the day such as the museums and historical buildings which portray a very classical and elegant image of Madrid.  I guess my favourite place in Madrid is El Parque del Retiro.  I find it amazing that within the centre of the city with all its noise and the traffic you may find this haven of tranquillity and where you may leave your worries behind.  Living in Madrid you also notice it’s a city that’s part of the European Union.  Here you are able to purchase a wide variety of goods from other markets at very reasonable prices.  In Brazil this is impossibility since taxes there for importing goods rise up to a 150%.  The city has a highly efficient and well priced transport system. 

What really stands about Madrid is its how beautiful it is visually.  The architecture of the main buildings in the centre is a feast for the eyes.  Another thing I love about Madrid is its street artists you find.   The streets, the metro trains, the parks are full of musicians, dancers, actors etc.  I truly admire their guts and the talent they have.  What you see on television is rarely better than what you see in real life.  They fill the city with their happiness, music and art and truly deserve the best in life.

What differences do you find between Madrid and Fortaleza?

Social classes are more diluted here.  In Brazil there are too many division between the different social classes, there’s quite a lot social prejudices over there to be honest.  Madrid is more bohemian in that sense, it’s more like Rio de Janeiro where people from different social backgrounds are able to mix more freely.

Here the city doesn’t stop its rhythm once the day is over.  In Fortaleza for example when people finish their jobs, they usually go straight to their homes and lead a more homely and cosy life.  Here it’s commonplace to go for a coffee or a beer after work, people enjoy being outdoors.  Without any doubt it is gratifying to find such joy in the street.  In Madrid when it comes to clothing, designer shoes or clothes are so much more affordable than in Brazil where the prices are so disproportionate they end up being highly exclusive to the high classes. 

A very significant difference between both cities is the way older people live.  Here your age doesn’t really matter, people go out, for a stroll, to eat at a nice restaurant or have a coffee at a terrace.  I admire the energy and vigour that older people have in this city.  They’re also very elegant and take pride in their looks.  When I see them I see people who feel the satisfaction that they have fulfilled their duties and now its time for them to enjoy life.  They truly inspire me and I think they have a lot of guidance to offer to the younger generations.

On the negative side I have to admit that being a non smoker is not easy here since there isn’t a big choice of bars or restaurants with smoke free zones, I hope it may change for the future.

 

Many thanks for your time Soraia, it has being a pleasure, and I wish you the best for the future, for anyone interested you may check her interesting work on http://www.pbase.com/soraianascimento