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PROFILE

Miriam Ocariz´s interview

Miriam Ocariz was born in Bilbao, where she graduated in Fashion Design from the Lanca International School in 1990. She then went on to obtain a degree in Fine Arts from the Basque Country University in 1992, where she specialised in Graphic Techniques. During her time as a student she also attended various courses and workshops in Graphic Art, Photography, Marketing and Fashion, Textile Handling and Manipulation, Fashion Styling and Computer Assisted Pattern Design in order to complete her training.

From 1991 to 1993 Miriam and her partner took part in the Expoconsumo International Design Competition held in Bilbao. In 1991 they were awarded first prize in the womenswear section and second prize in the children's wear section. They were equally successful the following year, obtaining the first prize in the womenswear section. In 1993, this time on her own, she received first prize in the Figurines section as well as second prize in the same section in collaboration with her partner.

Between 1993 and 1998 she combined her work as a designer with that of teacher at the Lanca School of Fashion and Design in Bilbao. In 1994, Miriam and her partner opened their first store, which they called Monge-Ocariz and where they sell their own designs. From 1998 to 1999, Miriam worked with the Basque Haute Couture designer Javier Barroeta, and was also involved in various exhibitions, mainly in Bilbao.

Miriam Ocariz presented her first individual collection at the Gaudí Fashion Show in Barcelona in 1996. Since then she has taken part in national and international fashion events, earning a solid reputation as one of Spain's most promising designers. Proof of this is the fact that she was awarded the L’Oreal Paris Prize for Best Young Designer at the Cibeles fashion show held in February 2002.
Available in various countries, Miriam Ocariz's designs are noted for their constant references to the art world. All the designs printed on her garments are unique and are inspired by a range of artistic tendencies such as expressionism, pop, conceptual art, as well as personal experiences: the street, life, everyday events, etc.

All the designs are silk-screen printed, which adds an exclusive touch to each garment: In some cases, for example the T-shirts, the silk-screen printing is combined with hand painted designs. She is also currently working on fabric printing techniques.

Miriam makes no attempt to find a rigid definition for her work, nor does she have a particular type of person in mind when designing; her work consists of using clothes as a means of expression and communication, creating a balance between fabrics, forms and drawings.

As well as in Spain, her collections are sold at exclusive multi-brand shops in Austria, China, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, the United Arab Emirates and the US. In August 2009 she reached an exclusive agreement with the HP FRANCE group to distribute her collections on the Japanese market.