Heritage 1974-1995
july 20
1974 The Opening Chapter
Alvin is born in New York to Cuban-born parents. He is the second of four siblings. Shortly before he turns five, his parents move the family to Seville, Spain, where his maternal grandmother lives. He lives in Spain for eight years, but travels frequently with his family to the U.S.
the kind of woman
who was not only smart
and intelligent,
but also empowered.”- ALVIN
1984 First Fashion Memory
Eighties music icons — most notably, Madonna — make a big impression on young Alvin:
“I first became aware of fashion when Madonna came on the scene. She had something that was sexy; she had something no one else had. I became infatuated with the fact that we could express so much of our personality through the way we dress.” — Alvin
the fact that we could
express so much of our personality
through the way we dress.”- ALVIN
Madonna wearing Alvin Valley pants in her "Give It 2 Me" VIDEO
1986 Alvin’s Inspiration
Alvin’s widowed aunt, who is a senior member of Spain’s Department of Education, invites him to come and stay with her:
“Her dressing room was next to my bedroom and every morning, I’d watch her transform herself into this powerful woman in tailored suits and spectator pumps. Her team members — all men — would come and have breakfast with her in the dining room, and she’d be at the head of the table running the daily meeting. The experience showed me how a woman could be in control. I came to idealize the kind of woman who was not only smart and intelligent, but also empowered.” — Alvin
1995 Launching His Own COLLECTION
Alvin opens Alvin Valley, an atelier/store in Miami’s Coconut Grove, where he serves well-traveled, stylish young women, providing them with tailored clothing and pants for all occasions:
“Today, I’m dressing the same women, only now they’re all in their thirties. I wanted to grow up with these women. I knew that the loyalty would come from them, and it has.” — Alvin
1987 First Design Experience
Alvin, now living with his family in Winter Park, Florida, starts creating his own fashion designs. On summer vacations to Spain, he takes sewing lessons and works with local seamstresses to bring his designs to life.
1994 Connecting the Dots
While studying for a degree in architecture at the University of Miami, Alvin connects the dots between his passion for architecture and fashion.
“I saw a correlation between architecture and design. In the way that buildings need to stand the test of time both structurally and aesthetically,I wanted to design clothing that had a permanence to it—pieces that someone could wear today and 30 years from now.” — Alvin
themselves through fashion.
I love interacting with women.
I love the construction of clothes.
These were thoughts I’d always
had, but I put them together and said,
‘I want to do a business out of this.’”- ALVIN on launching his own collection