Reading, Pa- How many times have
we heard that “first impressions are everything?” All our lives probably right? First impressions count from the moment when you walk through a door to the moment you walk out, especially when it comes to image and appearance. Looks do matter and fashion is everything. Just ask fashion designer Candelaria Marrero.
Photo Courtesy of Candelaria Marrero
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania and a graduate of Kutztown University, Marrero is just in the prime of his fashion career with his clothing line Pompey Pillar, and it all started in an Albright College dorm room with former Albrightian Cornell Lucas. “The name came from an Egyptian Bible,” Marrero said. “I was here with Cornell Lucas at Albright and we were sitting in his dorm for four hours trying to come up with a name,” he explained. That’s when the idea of Pompey Pillar struck Marrero.
“All of a sudden I come across a picture of a pillar that was so compelling to me,” he said. When it comes to fashion, it is all about who you are and what you bring to the table. For Marrero this is exactly what occurs when it comes to his clothing line. “My personal style, it’s not a fad,” he said. “It’s something that lives forever. I feel that this brand is going to be something luxurious,” he added.
As time went on with working on Pompey Pillar the clothing line itself became Candelaria Marrero. “It became me,” he said. It is Candelaria’s personal style and image that drives him to admire fashion itself. “What I admire most about fashion is that it’s epic,” he said. “It doesn’t stop. It’s been here forever, in cultures and everything. There’s no limit with fashion,” he said.
Photo Courtesy of Candelaria Marrero
Fashion does not only impact the style of designer but it can also impact the audience based on the message behind it. “It can be a message, it can be something psychological, it can make you feel better,” he said. “It could be just your expression. I feel like fashion is something more than what you just throw on your back,” Marrero said.
Marrero explained that Pompey Pillar was built in the middle of Egypt. He explains, “Because the Egyptians aligned with the stars it was the center of the planet. Pompey Pillarstands for universal connection,” he explained. “What we are about is universal love,” he said. The name Pompey Pillar speaks for itself and the historical side of it speaks for itself. Fashion is not just about what you wear and how you wear it. It’s about bringing people together.
“I’ll say I have learned a lot,” he said. “If I could give any advice to anyone that is really serious about this, it’s about sacrifice. If you are not willing to stop your bad habits, if you are not willing to cut off anything that gives pleasure, a social life of anything like that, it’s not going to love you back. You can’t get frustrated with your dreams.”
Photo Courtesy of Candelaria Marrero 
Vashti S. Moore 