Meet the Designer

Girls Night In

About the Designer:

Nailuj Villarroel of Coutura, Inc

If you’ve ever watched the Latin Grammy Awards, attended a show at Disneyworld, Universal or Sea World or attended New York Couture Fashion Week, you’ve likely seen Nailuj Villarroel’s work. She’s one of the most sought-after designers in the area, creating luxurious gowns and costumes that make the word “stunning” seem mundane—a rare feat in the fashion industry.

Villarroel currently works as the Executive Creative Director of Coutura, a high-end apparel company based out of Mont Dora. She’s spent more than 20 years perfecting her craft, working as a designer, tailor, and master seamstress in the entertainment, film and fashion industries, creating exquisite garments that look like they belong in a museum. Villarroel happily describes her mindset, saying, “If I can imagine it, I can create it.” Her work has led to high demand from local costumers, production companies and the public.

Villarroel’s prime concern is making her customers happy, saying that her favorite thing about what she does is going “over the expectations of our customers, creating an understanding of what the customer wants from a new look or costume.” Her designs are usually made to order, and her customers will tell you they are well-worth every penny. She finds Orlando fashion invigorating, pointing out how it allows innovation for “resort environment[s],” as well as offering her challenges when having to adjust for the weather while still being trendy. But the best thing about fashion in Orlando? The “exclusive high-end events,” says Villarroel.

She heavily pulls from her favorite trends, “bright summer prints, soft cottons, sequins, lace and rhinestones,” and finds international trends inspire her style, saying: “Tory Burch, Zahir Murad and Elie Saab all bring me inspiration. I create exclusive designs with asymmetrical cuts, rich material blends and luxurious colors that are always on trend and in season.” In addition to her work for the Latin Grammys, Disney, Universal, and Sea World, Villarroel has created designs for performers on the Premio Lo Nuestro Awards (Univison’s awards special for Spanish-language performers in music) as well as participated in Dominican Republic Fashion Week and Couture Fashion Week in New York. She recently created all of the costumes for the Give Kids the World Gala and received a spread in GMARO Magazine.

Villarroel plans to continue showcasing her designs around the world, but Orlando will always be home to her. If you would like to see more of her work, follow her on social media at @couturainc or @nailujvillarroelofficial