Contemporary Approaches Interview With Venezuelan Model And Interior Designer Sarah Duque Lovisoni 

BY CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES DECEMBER 24, 2021
Sarah Duque Lovisoni

Model And Interior Designer Sarah Duque Lovisoni

Photograher: Elido Turco

Fashion model Sarah Duque Lovisoni made her mark as a successful model who moved from Venezuela to Milan, Italy at 16-years old to start her modeling career and worked for huge fashion brands. Born and raised in Venezuela, she was heavily influenced by the exposure she got from living in Venezuela, Italy, London, and now in Los Angeles, where she currently resides. She opened her own design company, 'SDL Design’ and is now a luxury interior designer who combines her love for culture, fashion, luxury, travel, and beautiful aesthetics.  

In our interview, it's clear to see how proud she is of her Venezuelan roots and her entire family lineage and shares how her Italian grandfather's heritage impacted her. She says, "knowing my family roots have kept me grounded. My family is very entrepreneurial, and I wanted to do that too." In 2014, she obtained her degree in Contemporary Art Marketing at Naba University, Milan. 

The future is very bright for Sarah who is very optimistic about expanding her design business and leaving her legacy of beauty, grace and luxury interior designs.

Sarah Duque Lovisoni

1. CA: How exciting it must have been for a 16-year old to move from Venezuela to Milan to start a modeling career. Can you tell us both the glamorous and challenging sides of that experience?

Sarah: I decided to move to Italy because I wanted to connect with my Italian heritage. Then, I had the opportunity to start a modeling career in Milan. 

My first editorial was for Maxim Magazine the same day as my birthday. I was super excited and nervous about being in a professional set. I was just a baby at the time. It was very challenging when I moved to Italy because I had to adapt to a new culture and language. It took me three years to integrate myself into my new reality, but at the same time, I have to be very grateful to the fashion world because it changed my life.


2. CA: Was there a culture shock when you moved to Italy, and what was the best part of living abroad and traveling to so many countries.?

Sarah: When I moved to Italy, I felt very comfortable because Italians are very warm and welcoming people. I believe South American and Italian cultures are very similar in many ways. For example, Spanish and Italian are both romance languages from Latin, which was the language of the Roman. So, we have so many similarities. 

I was exposed to three different continents in the last 20 years, so I can tell you that I have an international vision. I speak three languages, and traveling helped me to keep my creativity alive.  

3. CA: What advice would you give to young girls that are just starting their modeling career, especially for those who have to move to another city or country?

Sarah: Today, the fashion world has changed so much. Instagram and technology have had a direct impact on how brands do their own advertising and promotions. Many young talents can be part of the fashion world from home. What they will need is only a phone, so now it’s more competitive than ever. 

For models, Instagram and Social Media platforms became our business card which 15-years ago was like having a 'model look book.' My advice for the new generation is to study and prepare themselves professionally. So, if they decide to emigrate, you can have a good base where to build your career. Also, if you can study multiple languages, it will be very helpful and will give you more opportunities.

Sarah Duque Lovisoni
Sarah Duque Lovisoni

4. CA: You are also a luxury interior designer and founded your own company, SDL Design. How important is it to branch out and have a long-term plan?

Sarah: I believe it is very important to understand that a career as a model has a time limit. When I moved to the United States, I was looking for the opportunity to diversify my modeling career. So I founded SDL Design. After that, I had an incredible opportunity to design a mansion in Malibu. Since then, I’ve been focused on interior design, furniture, and management. 
5. CA: Can you tell us about your studies and some of the work experiences that helped to shape you and prepare you for the interior design world?

Sarah: I studied marketing of contemporary art, furniture, and curator (curating) in Milan, Italy. Without a doubt, it gave me a good base to better understand my environment, design and the furniture world. All these elements allowed me to build a particular vision that I can describe more in European style designs, and with a real attention to the details. Today, all these elements are my passion and philosophy of life. 

6. CA: How do you use social media and technology to expand your brand and business?

Sarah: Actually social media is the best way of promoting my different businesses in interior design and fashion. I have my personal Instagram account About_Love_Sarah where I talk about fashion and traveling. Then, I have my account SDL Design where I promote my business as an interior designer. 

7. CA: What's next for you? 

Sarah: In the last year, I've been working on two different projects that are connected with interior design and fashion.The first project is called "ONLY ONE" which is a collection of unique pieces including: sculptures, paintings and furnishing accessories. I worked mainly with resin in collaboration with Alex Turco who is an incredible Italian artist. 

The second project is called “Sarah Love'' which is a project born from my passion for fashion. Since I worked as a model for many years, I decided to create an e-commerce store where I represent multiple exclusive brands of clothing, shoes, and bags from different parts of the world. Some of these brands are available for the first time exclusively in the United States on www.sarahlove.shop.