BY DIANNA SMITH
Life, Fashion And
PASSION MIAMI DESIGNER ALINA VILLASANTE SPREADS THE LOVE WITH CELEBRITY-FAVORITE CLOTHING LINE
N
Photos courtesy of Peace Love World
egativity is something that Miami fashion designer Alina Villasante avoids as much as she evades poor fabrics and dull patterns.
She’s a glass-half-full kind of girl – the type of person others want to be around because she’s not only beautiful, but her generous heart and kindhearted spirit could make even a stranger want to be a better person. And so do her clothes. Villasante is the owner and creator of Peace Love World, a multimillion-dollar, Miami-based luxurylifestyle clothing line that is often photographed on celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Ellen DeGeneres, Sofia Vergara and the entire Kardashian clan. The company has also collaborated on special collections with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, the NBA and Coca-Cola, among others. Those three simple words – Peace Love World – perfectly describe who Villasante is and what she wants for everyone. She’s a self-proclaimed peace girl who was a cheerleader for happiness as a kid and still is today, using fashion to encourage others to live joyful, meaningful lives. Her clothes display messages like “I Am Love” and “Love the People Around You and Be Happy,” and these pieces are more than just ap-
parel for Villasante. They are part of a movement she is trying to spread throughout the globe: Inspire love. Inspire peace. And help make a difference. “I thrive on positivity, and I don’t function well in a negative environment,” says Villasante, 53. “I love being happy.” Villasante credits her clothing line – and her incredible life – to
the glamorous city of Miami. The diversity and creativity found in each and every part of the city have molded Villasante into the successful woman she is today – someone who wants to invent, explore and interact with others passionately, intently and lovingly. “It’s where I belong,” she says of Miami. “It’s a cultural melting pot. A true window to the world. And the exposure we have gotten here has grown into other cities and countries.” Born in Havana, Villasante’s family left Cuba when she was just 8 months old and headed to New York.
She spent most of her childhood there with her parents, Graziella and Hector Cora, and four brothers; after her high school graduation, her father moved everyone to Atlanta, where he was transferred for work. But Villasante soon headed for Miami, where she enrolled at Florida International University, married and had three children (two sons and one daughter, all in their 20s now). And Miami is also where she discovered that she could turn her love for fashion into a career. Peace Love World is as much a family affair as it is Villasante’s personal vision. Her father oversees the accounting division; her son Christopher Villasante works the warehouse; her cousin Angie Martinez is vice-president of operations; and her ex-husband, Frank Villasante, is the president. Villasante and her husband split more than 15 years ago, but she says she didn’t want to use the word divorce, so she called it, “completion of cycle.” The two are friends, and she says that he has helped her build her business into what it is today. Their daughter, Mia Villasante, who is in charge of social media and marketing, says that her mothFASHIONISTA FAMILIA: Alina, Christopher, Mia and Frankie Villasante
J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 5
67