MiApogeo.com - Mariela Zapata: Estrella of Fashion and Design

Mariela Zapata: Estrella of Fashion and Design

Written by MiApogeo Staff

Mi Apogeo: Do you feel that your Latina culture has influenced the style of your work?
Mariela Zapata: Absolutely, with color, and the details. We love details. We love to add stuff to our outfits and make it look vivid, alive.

Mi Apogeo: What does being Latina mean to you? How do you see yourself? Do you see yourself as being Dominican, being Latina, a New Yorker, as being all those things?
Mariela Zapata: I’m all those things. First of all, when they ask me this question, I always say I’m just human. I can relate myself to everyone. We’re all the same. We all have a little bit of everything. But in a more specific way, as Latina, I see our culture as warmth. I think our culture is extremely warm. It’s all about charisma, love, family, warmth, it’s the word that I always say when I describe myself.

Mi Apogeo: So when people ask you where are you from, what do you say?
Mariela Zapata: My parents are both Dominican. Mi mamá es de Santiago, y mi papá es de Samaná. I’m just human. I was born in New York, I consider myself a New Yorker, a Latina, a Dominican.

Mi Apogeo: What does Mi Apogeo mean to you?
Mariela Zapata: My own little space, my own rinconcito, para inspirar, y ayudar a otros, the same people who are going to see me as an Estrella, estoy en mi apogeo, to inspire you with my art, and the warmth, my little warm space, es Mi Apogeo.

Gracias, Mariela, por visitarnos, and much success to you!

To contact Mariela Zapata, email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it