Irma Martinez, Entrepreneur and Celebrity Stylist to Shakira and Pitbull, Says 'Be Yourself'
Shakira, Pitbull, Sofía Vergara, Gloria Estefan and numerous other U.S. Latino and Latin American celebrities rely on the expertise of Irma Martinez, founder and creative director of Trendy Inc., who's made it her life's work to dress and style the biggest names in the business. She's also worked with "big brands" needing a little education how to appeal to Latin audiences.
When Martinez was teenager, she converted old jeans into skirts and chose a uniquely sublime dress to wear to her quinceañera, always wearing clothing that differentiated her from everyone around her.
"I was always interested in creating a look that nobody else had. When the opportunity came along, I didn't even know what styling was. It happened by accident. I was going to school for fashion design because I really was interested in being in fashion," Martinez told Latin Post. "Then, the opportunity came along to work with Shakira when she started. She was my first big client. From then on, I was doing work with many others, and then I was very busy. Next thing, I'm working with celebrities for 20 years."
Martinez shared a bit about the evolution of her personal style and how that has influenced the styles of many she's dressed. She wears clothing from different years, and mixes highs and low to solidify individuality. For her many clients, she's curated individual looks by gauging their styles and spirits, while injecting a bit of her own touch. Her expert eye has helped to guide Daisy Fuentes, Ricky Martin, Eva Longoria and Marc Anthony and enabled the creation of her own business.
"I approach each day with the same interest that I had on the first day, and that's how I do the best of my work. Trendy Inc. became a company because of the request of many of my clients. They wanted me to do bigger projects, wanted more assistance, more make-up and hair style stylist recommendations and wanted help with production," said Martinez.
"So, we started producing project preparedness for our clients. Then, Trendy Inc. became Trendy Studio and then Trendy Group as the business grew. I manage the styling and my husband manages the production part, so it's amazing that we've grown, and it's a very interesting business to have in place right now, which is production in the Latin market."
Martinez's Trendy Inc has done work with the American Music Awards, "Dancing with the Stars" and Premio Lo Nuestro, which are prime examples of big budgets she's worked with. The fashion stylist's longstanding presence in the fashion world has positioned her to be one of the most influential individuals in the Latino community, and many regard her fashion choices as law. However, Martinez believes that the best fashion advice is to "be true to yourself."
"Don't let fashion trends change who you are, because you can't help some of the fashion trends. Sometimes they work for you, sometimes they don't, so you have to be aware that not every fashion trend is going to work, you have to be true to yourself," Martinez stated.
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