Amina Aranaz-Alunan: Glam on the Go

Of course, as any working mom will tell you, not all days can be so simple and structured. There are always those days where things don’t quite go as planned. This does not faze Amina, who seems to have mastered the art of unruffling her feathers. This trademark elegance and poise is what makes Amina’s success look so easy, despite the years of hard work. But she believes that’s mostly because she would rather not dwell on the things that went wrong.

“I move forward and see how we can make the most of what we have,” she says, bringing up that timeless maxim about making lemonade.

I would like to think that I am quite a positive person, so I always try to see the good in a not-so favorable situation.

This sunny outlook is what keeps her going as she builds her empire and acts as mentor to young creative entrepreneurs. The most valuable piece of advice she has for them is surprising.“Know your numbers,” she says, pointing out that while a lot of designers tend to shy away from this, she’s learned that it is an equally important part of creating a successful brand.

Amina still has big plans for Aranaz and SoFA. “There is still a lot of work to do and much to achieve,” she says. Her commitment to all these roads she’s taken has brought her far indeed. She may have been going full-speed in the beginning, but learning how to slow down when she needs to is what gives her the ability to go further than she ever imagined. Having it all isn’t a mad race to the finish line. If we were to go by Amina’s example, as long as we keep going — run, walk, or perhaps in her case, glide — our passions and dreams will be within reach soon enough.