How I Got Here with art director Fernando Torres: "Always be nice to people, maintain positivity and stay cool"

The fashion industry can be a difficult nut to crack, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. In our new monthly series, we hear from Scandinavia's most exciting young creatives on how they made it – and the advice they would offer their younger selves

If there's something to know about the multi-dimensional fashion industry and the ‘business’ of fitting into it, it’s that everyone’s path is unique and their journey is rarely ever a straight line. Even success itself is measured against many different personal scales. In the back and forth and up and down experience that is climbing industry ladders, how do you know when you're on the right path? When is an opportunity ours for the taking?

In our new series ‘How I got here’ we’ll explore the career path of some of the most exciting, boundary-breaking creatives in today’s fashion industry here in Scandinavia. Get inspired by the stories behind some of your favourite stylists, photographers, models and musicians and nab insight, tips and advice on how you too can follow in their footsteps and carve out the creative career you’ve always wanted.

To kick off the series, meet Fernando Torres, a Chilean-Swedish stylist turned art director who has experienced the industry from many angles. As a 90s child of immigrant parents living in Stockholm, Fernando marked himself as a ‘culture nerd,’ with his head buried in art, music and books. While fashion was something he first saw being modelled on the back of George Michael as he performed on MTV.

"I didn't know what it was or meant, I just knew I liked it. I was always a very visual person; high school was when I got into the hype of magazines – they tended to be fashion. And alongside studying text communication, I realised while reading the magazines that maybe this could be for me, though not knowing what my role would be in it. From then on, it felt like every decision I made led me to fashion.”

Keen to get more international input, Fernando studied at the London College of Fashion which is where his interest for styling first sparked. For ten years, he worked in-house for global companies and styled large-scale shoots as a solo creative, learning the ins and outs of personal, commercial, and editorial styling.

His key to success, he says, is celebrating your achievements and being your own biggest fan. "I think a huge part of reaching your goals and becoming successful at what you do is being a little bit delusional about yourself, you have to be able to toot your own horn."

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Earlier in 2022, Fernando moved to Nuremberg, in Germany, to take up an exciting new role as the art director for one of the world's leading sportswear brands, Puma. With all he's learnt from a decade of everything in between odd jobs and 9-5's, Puma is empowering him to break industry barriers with new volition.

"How I worked before felt like a natural progression to Puma. I've always worked very diversely, with a mixture of streetwear, sportswear, and high fashion influences, but never fully for a sportswear brand. Even though they all exist in the same world, it's more about storytelling and it's nice to have that new direction. And being intersectional helps me understand where other people come from, which helps me effectively work with all kinds of people in high-pressure environments."

Even just in his first few months, Fernando has already been globe trotting, directing international campaigns for mega-stars such as Dua Lipa. His advice when collaborating on set? "Always be nice to people, maintain positivity and stay cool."

Fernando’s positive perspective has enabled him to turn the small feats into his greatest superpower. "Feeling like I never really belonged to anything has become my driving force. I didn't identify with the gay community in Sweden; I was a part of the Latin and immigrant community and was never fully Swedish. But being an outsider has shaped me!”

Everybody has to start somewhere after all and sometimes, even though the path ahead might be foggy, it might just lead you to exactly where you need to be. The key is keeping focussed and determined. “Stay motivated, focus your energy and keep reaching out to people. No matter how minor, every project you do can lead to something else. Your break will come to you.” Fernando has taught us that if there is truth to the sentiment of “trusting the process,” then having the right mindset is crucial, and it’s something which is also in your control.

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In addition to turning his creative visions into campaigns, Fernando never stops tapping into his child-like imaginations to keep expanding his mind and learning the history of his industry. “Podcasts, music and books keep me inspired. I am currently reading Anna Wintour’s biography and next up is Edward Enninful’s memoir. I am also playing a bit with my own personal style and currently very inspired by Jacquemus’ colour palettes.”

With so much in the pipeline, the coming few years look like they will be an exciting leg of Fernando’s unyielding career tour. And with his relentless drive as his north star, there’s nothing he can’t achieve.