INTERVIEW WITH THE FASHION ICON MARIA SIMION

When you look up to the clothes of MARIA SIMION, one of the most important Romanian Fashion Designer, it seems to travel back in time and stay in Queen Victoria's court. If you imagine to wear a dress she creates you can emphatize with the most noble and at the same time sexy woman in Victorian age.

Indeed her magic touch gives at every single dress a baroque, romantic and rococo style.

In 2007 Maria Simion launched her private label WONDERLOLITA and in the same year she set up in the centre of BUCHAREST her first shop with the idea to produce clothes totally womanly prêt -à-porter.

Her success is always up to grade and she won in 2011 the award as "Best Designer Prêt -à-porter" that gives her the opportunity to be known in Romania and Italy. 

Now her clothes are requested and dressed by many actresses and models.

Among corsets, skirts and sparkling paillettes Maria reveals her secrets about Romania answering my questions.

I: Maria, Romania is a beautiful Nation, what can you tell about it? Are there any particular places you suggest to visit or you like more?

M: Romania is a really beautiful place, there are lot of amazing things to see. It is a nation with a great history and full of friendly people in every region of the country.

People, who had the opportunity to visit Romania, have been astonished by its natural beauty. Our people continues strong traditional valours which are reflected by many recurrences, celebrations and traditional costumes that are real works of art.

I think God had given Romania the best things he created: mountains, forests, sea and persons who still believe in Romanian traditional valours.

There are lot of things to visit in Romania but if I have to make a list I propose you Danube, many monasteries located in the north of the country, precisely in the MARAMURES region, PRAHOVA VALLEY with its PELES CASTLE and to completa MAMAIA BLACK SEA.

I: Actually you are working and living in Bucharest, in your opinion what have a tourist absolutely to do or to visit in this beautiful city?

M: In Bucharest there is the famous POPULAR HOUSE, an enormous palace with eight floors underground that is worth visiting together with the ARC OF TRIUMPH and the countless museums displaced in the city.  

Many persons have still the passion for many kinds of art and culture so I could suggest the ROMANIAN NATIONAL ART MUSEUM and the NATIONAL OPERA & BALLET where you can find lot of artists in order to promote our brand new talents because they believe in our valours.

As a matter of fact for the promotion of my last collection A/W 2013 "Antique Diamonds" I have had the great opportunity to personally collaborate with two big opera's artists such as Alice and Hector Lopez.

I: Are there restaurants, pubs do you recommend where you can taste traditional Romanian food?

M: There are lots of restaurants in Bucharest where you can find traditional food, for example I advise to go to BISTRO LATAIFAS (www.bistrotaifas.ro) where you can taste our famous dish SARMALE and mush with pork meat.
Another good restaurant to eat Romanian food is CARU' CU BERE (www.carucubere.ro).

In Bucharest there are also many places where besides eating you can taste our local wines and I recommend to go to the restaurant CRAMA DOMNEASCA (www.cramadomenasca.com).
MOLDAVIA is one of the most famous region concerning the wine's production, a land full of vineyards and people who still produce "homemade" wine, keeping alive in this way our tradition.
Finally you can't absolutely miss TRANSYLVANIA, the land whre you can find lots of typical restaurants as CRAMA HAIDUCILOR (www.crama-haiducilor.ro) placed in the city of CLUJ NAPOCA.

I: Working in fashion sector have you ever visited Italy? Is there a city you liked more or a city you are curios to visit?  
M: I love Italy very much, I had the occasion to present one of my collection in Milan, a city I keep in my heart.

Every year I come back here to visit it and I always consider it a jewel box full of secrets and that is the thing I appreciate more about Milan. It will be also a dream for me to have the possibility to present my collections also in Rome.

To have more information about Maria Simion and her brand Wonderlolita click on:
www.wonderlolita.ro