Fashion moves at a different tempo, with changing codes and shifting platforms, yet there is something that seems to endure unchanged through the decades. Within the frame of a special production at the Gala for Para Ti’s 104th anniversary, established figures and new runway talents answer what they believe remains intact in a model beyond trends and the transformations of the industry. From passion and professionalism to the ability to convey emotions and to forge a personal identity, Nequi Galotti, Lorena Ceriscioli, Araceli González, Chloe Bello, and Dalene Weber share their perspectives on what transcends the passage of time.
The ice-breaker is Nequi, who pauses to reflect. “What a good question, because communication has changed so much, yet what doesn’t change is the essence, the ability to convey. For me, it has always been that: joy, vitality, and health through the Para Ti magazines, which I did so much of back in the eighties, when Photoshop and digital retouching did not exist. It was always very important that the eyes shone, and shone truly. Despite all the technological advances, that attitude remains the essence for a model to convey and showcase the garments.”
And she adds: “Sometimes we are compared to the younger generations, saying that the old ones were one way and these are better; I love seeing the new models on the runway. The way of showing garments has changed a lot. For example, back then we were asked for permission to wear a sheer transparency because it suggested something. Later, in another era, models fought to wear that transparency, and today it is the most natural thing in the world. That changed a great deal; today it flows with total naturalness,” she adds.
Given that she is an authority in shaping models through her academy LO Management, Lorena Ceriscioli adds: “With the models, what remains intact is the passion for what you love. The girls who succeed are those who have passion, who love what they do and commit themselves. I think professionalism remains in fashion. In this line of work, which I always emphasize is a job, it is crucial to be ultra-professional, to realize you’re working with a team, to understand you’re not alone and that you must respond to a lot of things. That, for me, continues to hold.”
“The girls who succeed are professionals. We love working with them precisely because they understand and represent us, not only in Argentina with clients, but globally. They can go to work with Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, or Céline, and they enjoy working precisely because they know what it’s about and are respectful. What we try to do is train them from that place. It’s difficult because the new generation adapts almost instantly to ‘I’m one click away,’ something we didn’t have; our education was to push ourselves to reach the goal. Nevertheless, the girl who carries passion listens to us, starts working, and understands it is a team effort, which makes her get down to work,” she explains.
In another thread, Araceli states that what endures in fashion is “art and culture” and that “in Argentina that has always remained on a wonderful track, and here there are brilliant professionals and creatives.”
“What changes is what also changes across many eras, but I don’t see a difference. I see different new layers, marvelous, that arrive with their imprint and curiosity. In fashion as a reference, I love this vintage-meets-modern vibe that blends and makes fashion unstructured, simply highlighting each person’s personality,” reflects Araceli.
Chloe Bello considers it something natural: “I’m not really aiming to reinvent myself all the time. I feel it happens with time. You grow, you change, things happen to you and that makes you shape yourself in different ways and face life differently. The setbacks, the ups and downs, the good and the bad, all add up and help.”
The model notes that she does not have “a defined pattern of I must be this or that, nor that I have to reinvent myself” because she does not live life that way. “I live it more naturally and watch, without clinging, how life unfolds. I think that’s something that happens with age,” she concludes.
Araceli González: “I’d like to do streaming”
“Today I was thinking that more than forty years I’ve worked for Para Ti. I’ve done fashion shoots, covers, they’ve told my life, my story, and we’ve told fashion. The first time I did it was when I was 15, imagine: a whole life! I’m fascinated because it’s people I’ve known all my life; the eras have changed, but there’s always someone who remains, and that’s beautiful,”
“Doing a production in these pages meant being part of Argentina’s most important fashion magazine. Reaching Para Ti, within the modeling world, was the best thing that could happen to you. We passed through different magazines until we got there. That was a joy, a lot of emotion and a lot of happiness. I remember many people who have passed through here.”
Regarding her present, she says: “I’m very well. I’m working with a brand called Ara Cosmetics, developing it and putting a lot into it, and I’m eager to return to television communication. I’d like to host or do streaming. I have some offers for next year and I’m happy.”
“I want a phase where one can express themselves as they are, without being judged. I think streaming was heavily judged at first, and today I believe it’s a space where one can express themselves. That was very new, a tremendous imprint, and now it’s settling into a much more attractive place as well. Today I prefer hosting to acting,” she closes.
Nequi Galotti, synonymous with fashion
“I have the best memories of Para Ti, because back then being a Para Ti model meant being welcomed as a model, as a figurine, and arriving at the place that all of us in this field longed for. Walking the show for Gino Bogani’s or Christian Dior’s collection, and doing Para Ti, was the common thread. It was very important for me to start there; thanks to the editorials of this magazine I could do many fashion shows in the interior, beyond the collections, which helped me become more popular. It was the way people could get to know you because the magazine reached almost every home. Every week my aunt, my grandmother, everyone collected Para Ti; you’d arrive at homes and the entire collection was kept in the cabinet under the television. It was something very important to me,” she recalls.
“Fashion is a way of communicating. Through what you wear you talk about your mood, your happiness, or your style. Fashion is creativity; although to access certain high-quality materials like cashmere you need a budget, creativity lies in the flair when you put on an accessory, in knowing whether to overdo it or not, or in expressing yourself through a maximalist fashion when you want to make a statement, or a more minimalist style when you’re calm. I’m a very peaceful and calm person, so through that more minimalist fashion I convey my essence,” she says.
“There’s a saying that ‘fashion is not supposed to hurt,’ and it’s true, but what’s in fashion must be given your own style, your signature and your own way. Not losing that is very important,” she acknowledges.
Lorena Ceriscioli, the beacon for the new generations
“When I started, gracing the cover of Para Ti was the best, it was reaching the top. My memory is going to the Para Ti office and trying to make the cover. I always say I had only one cover in my life and it was glorious. I have it in a frame. I’ve done millions of editorials, but I only did one cover, and it was really important for us to be recognized. Para Ti is a magazine that reaches everyone: my mother read it, my grandmother, and now my girls know it. It’s something beautiful that represents fashion in Argentina, that represents us as women and workers, and I hold it dear and with heart,” she remembers.
On the opportunity to pose with Dalene Weber, one of the young promises she represents, she says: “I’m already retired and I don’t like being in the same place as one of my girls. But for Para Ti I can’t say no, because of the team of people who work there. In life, what sets you apart are the human beings, and Para Ti, to me, is family, they’re friends. Beyond fashion, art, and trends, it’s people I love, who looked after me when I was young and who still look after my girls today.”
Dalene Weber, one of Argentina’s rising fashion talents
“It’s really wild to be part of this cover, especially because of Lore, with whom I work daily; she is my boss and an authority figure for me. Out of the blue, being on a cover with her is something I could never have imagined or thought of when she proposed it. At first I was a bit stunned, but I’m super happy,” she says, thrilled.
Dior Couture, Louis Vuitton, Loewe, Rabanne, Van Norteen, Valentino, Céline. All international brands she posed for. A genuine phenomenon. “In the moment you don’t realize you’re working for them. In the shows you don’t either. You simply go, come out, walk, and that’s it. Only when you return home do you see your face everywhere and people start congratulating you a lot. That’s when you absorb that you were with such a brand.”
“I feel privileged. By this point it has become a normal thing for me, even though it sounds wrong to say it. I travel abroad hoping to do a show or to have secured options. Also, in my case, the process was very fast and I didn’t have to live through that difficult phase of spending a season without any show and having to try again and again, which is what usually happens to young models. Although I did experience rejection on my first trip, on the second I had a very good season. That’s why it’s crazy and I still can’t quite grasp it,” she reveals.
And she continues: “In my first Fashion Week week I already had the Louis Vuitton casting secured, so I went to the other castings without fear. I thought: ‘Well, if I land Dior, great, and if not, I already have Louis Vuitton.’ That’s how I landed on Dior, Loewe, and other brands. It helps a lot to have something secured from the start because you don’t lose heart for the next casting, you’re not afraid to fail, and it gives you a confidence that is absolutely necessary.”
“To the new generations I say: keep pushing hard, listen to your agents, and find a good representative. Someone who truly cares for you, because a good agent is the most important thing there is,” she recommends.
Chloe Bello: “I’m stepping out of a comfort zone”
“I’m incredibly happy. We’re starting new projects, now more on television, so I’m really excited. I’ll share more soon; there will be an piece where I talk about it all a bit more. But absolutely, very happy, carving new paths,” she teases.
Regarding the areas she enjoys expressing herself most, she surprisingly says it is in speaking: “That’s what I like the most. I get uncomfortable with the physical. Since I was little I’ve been like that. I’ve always been unbearable, I’m a perfectionist, but at the same time I don’t do anything: I don’t exercise, I don’t diet, I don’t take care of myself the way models do. One always sees flaws and things, so I prefer the brain to be a lot more interesting than the body.”
“I think this year has been very transgressive for me, very mutable. I’m stepping out of a comfort zone. Not sure if it’s comfort, but it’s a known area. And I think it’s a big learning opportunity. I turned 39 and feel anxious to reach 40 because I know a new decade awaits me. So this year I won’t even count it because I’m very anxious. Oh, I don’t want to say this because it’s a… but there’s a lot of stigma around turning 40, you know?”
On her day-to-day, she shares: “I really enjoy being with my animals; that brings me a lot of joy. I also love doing things for others, as cheesy as it sounds. Anything that can help. I’m at a point in life where I feel giving is far more valuable than receiving. I’m single and I really enjoy solitude, being single, and being with myself. Not having to follow anyone else’s patterns or anything. I greatly enjoy my independence.”
Production: Rocío Solano, Gustavo Ramírez and Darío Alvarellos
With its stately architecture, its French-inspired details, and an atmosphere that blends history with sophistication, the Palacio Basavilbaso was the stage chosen for Para Ti’s Gala. A singular space that, with its timeless elegance, made the night an even more special occasion.
Betano was part of Para Ti’s gala with an activation inviting the night’s protagonists to experience something different, in line with its entertainment proposition and fun.
Drean joined Para Ti’s gala with a proposal that fused design, innovation, and technology, and surprised guests with an exclusive preview of its new era through a preview of its upcoming launch.
Bodega Escorihuela Gascón accompanied a new edition of Para Ti’s Gala, pairing a selection of its wines with a night that celebrates fashion’s evolution and contemporary culture. This participation aligns with the brand’s strategic vision of inhabiting culturally relevant spaces, linking its legacy with the platforms and conversations that define today’s vanguard.
The Gala’s security was provided by Perroti, who accompanied the invited figures throughout the night.
In tone with a night that celebrates fashion, Para Ti’s Gala’s ambiance was crafted by Mónica Pons Eventos, with a sophisticated and stylish setup that complemented the Basavilbaso Palace’s elegance. @monicapons_eventos
Comprehensive production: Matías Rosado
