Patricia Velásquez

Creativity isn't limited to the photographic, canvas as well as film and other media. It is also a catalyst for philanthropy and charity and activism. Supermodel, award-winning actress and philanthropist who is a staunch supporter, conscientious activist author, mother of two. Patricia Velasquez applies an eternal inventive spirit to all she does. It could be acting in blockbusters like The Curse of La Llorona or launching the Wayuu Taya Foundation and participating on the UNESCO Board. She is a strong believer in intuition , and a pioneer in her own direction. She states, "I see my career as a long ladder." "I did every step up. It was incredible to accomplish it, because there was a long-term vigor. I simply laid my head down, took one step at the time, and then never stopped." The metaphor is an evocation of a formative experience. The author was born in Venezuela but raised in France and Mexico and then moved to Venezuela after a couple of years. In South America her parents worked in education. They relocated their family into an apartment building with no water and inoperable elevators. Patricia often carried buckets of water for 15 flights of stairs in order to provide water. In between studying engineering and intense dance training she aimed to aid the family however she could. Her promise to her family members, which was the key to her rise to the top of the fashion industry, saw her being sought out to model in Milan. She recalls, "When they asked me to go to Italy I responded that if I could send thirty dollars a month back to Venezuela, it's worth it in the sense that it would be enough to cover the whole building's water'." Patricia's success represented the beginning of a new era in fashion when she brought attention from the fashion world to South America for the first time. Patricia was able to make headlines as "the first model Karl Lagerfeld ever photographed" and then going on to walk at shows, take part in editorial spreads and front ads for Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Chloe, Cover Girl, and Victoria's Secret to name some. The model was also featured in Oprah's "Supermodel of the World Contest" with Ford Models. Additionally, she graced the covers of Vogue, Bazaar, Marie Claire and many more.