Alexandra Catrangiu: From Dream to Design – The Art of Creating Identity Through Fashion

Discover the story of Alexandra Catrangiu, a Romanian fashion designer who blends classic elegance with contemporary feminine power. An inspiring interview about vision, values, and style.

Alexandra Catrangiu is an independent fashion designer who emphasizes creativity, minimalism, sophistication. She does not pursue mass production, but rather pieces that reflect the wearer’s personality and femininity, positioned at the intersection of art and fashion creation.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in one sentence, so as to pique the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?

Alexandra Catrangiu: I am a lover of beauty and seek it in all its forms—in art, in fashion, in the colors of nature, in the beautiful and valuable people around me, in all the little details that surround us, because life is made of the small things that bring joy to life. A combination of strength and sensitivity, because I am a person who lives moments intensely, who brings emotion to loved ones, but I can lose myself in front of life when it thrusts me into its abyss, when ugliness takes hold of humanity, when non-values are elevated to the rank of art.
I hope that through the emotion I bring to the women who “dress me,” I light up where the window has been closed by its shutter, through custom‑made creations manufactured right in the atelier that bears my name.

C&B: If we were to trace a narrative thread of your career or business, what were the key moments that defined you?

Alexandra Catrangiu: Life is a surprise, and I always have my arms wide open to receive what the Universe has kindly prepared for me. I am like a child waiting to open a gift every morning when I open my eyes, working every day towards my dream.
If I had to choose a few key moments, perhaps it would be participating in the international Feeric Fashion Week, which brought me international exposure, and also the launch of my most recent collection—Lumineuse—at an event held at the Romanian Embassy in London.
But beyond the applause on large stages, it’s the embraces of the women who cross my threshold and the messages I receive amid those events—such as “I feel so beautiful and special, thank you!”—that define my career and soul.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?

Alexandra Catrangiu: In an artist’s life there are always ups and downs. In a market overwhelmed by mass-market clothes and fast fashion, it is hard for creators to stay on top, especially those who always choose quality and finely crafted work. When suppliers also reduce their quality, it becomes a constant search for raw materials to maintain standards. But successes bring greater satisfaction when we maintain our line and don’t get lost in the multitude around us.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has guided you always, regardless of obstacles?

Alexandra Catrangiu: The emotions and tears I have shared with the ladies in my studio have fueled my dream every day. Because it’s not about the dress, nor the material, nor the design—but about the feeling it accompanies them with, perhaps on the happiest day of their life, and the joy they leave in me. These dreams confirm that I am doing well and beautifully what I do. It’s like nourishment for the soul—a dependence.

C&B: What did you look like at the beginning of the journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed so far?

Alexandra Catrangiu: I did not start the project as a business, but from a very deep love for fashion and art. I knew almost nothing about business planning, marketing, or budgets. I began with a second‑hand industrial sewing machine, with some classes taken for my heart, and then others in styling, luxury marketing, and I won’t stop here.
Because knowledge is what guides me in life, and I believe it’s always about ascending. I don’t know where, but intuition, work ethic, and the desire to bring femininity back into the clothes we wear—I know they will guide me to the places where I belong.

C&B: If we met your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Alexandra Catrangiu: Everyone I have collaborated with has become my friend, part of my heart. I have met dedicated people with whom I shared the same beautiful and upright values; that united us, and from that chemistry the most beautiful projects were born. Because I am someone who can only work heart to heart.

C&B: What is the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?

Alexandra Catrangiu: Probably when I changed the marketing and PR team. Because they are people who work for themselves, through you—and professionals who have the desire to showcase you and your business, who understand beyond “celebrity culture” what advertising really means, who know that beyond a fashion presentation, it’s about the work of each person in their own piece, without escalating egos.

C&B: How have you built your leadership style or decision‑making approach? Was it natural or learned?

Alexandra Catrangiu: I learned in small steps and from experiences over the years what worked and what didn’t. After each project, I drew the necessary conclusions to improve things. Evolution is at the base of my story, and I believe each year has brought new lessons that I took and placed in the drawer of my story.

C&B: What do you believe differentiates your business or professional approach from the rest of the industry?

Alexandra Catrangiu: In my city, I introduced a new concept—a fashion house as it used to be, where women came and had clothes made to order, customized, with consulting and stories over coffee and to the background of good music—about style, good taste, and quality. About producing a dress or suit made exactly to their shape, because each of us is unique, with our own fine particulars, about highlighting our fine qualities.
At Alexandra Catrangiu Studio, each piece bears the imprint of the client, high‑quality materials, hand‑sewn stitches, delicate lace for lovers of delicacy.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and which moments bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Alexandra Catrangiu: No day is like another, because the day starts very early in the studio—with plans and new projects, shootings and creative stories with my team, fittings with clients, sketching new collections, or maybe even being the protagonist of my personal shootings.
The latter, I believe, brings me the greatest satisfaction, because there I can let my imagination and creativity run free; there I take the pen and write beautiful stories that I hope will stay in people’s hearts over time. I love giving emotion to people.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them every day?

Alexandra Catrangiu: I was raised in a principled family, where common sense had priority before any interest. Elegance, good taste, moderation, a sense of measure, respect for those around me and for the work of people near me, joy, altruism, and love—all of these are at my foundation; I feed them every day of my life in this incarnation, and everything I do must be in line with my values. I don’t know and don’t want to live otherwise.

C&B: How did the idea of starting this business and giving it this name come to you?

Alexandra Catrangiu: This business was born from my love for old‑time femininity, for fashion worn with grace—to give women before me the knowledge I gained, to bring a smile and beauty to their faces, for the emotions I cried along with each bride I embraced and for whom I became part of her love story. It’s not a business; it’s a story written day by day, a feeling that lasts over time.
Also from devotion was born another of my projects—an educational segment on Radio Prahova under my signature “Dress to Impress,” where I prepare weekly advice on style and good manners. It’s like a gift I give listeners each week—a gift I give with the same joy.

C&B: If you were to send a message to people who follow your example, what would that be?

Alexandra Catrangiu: Believe in your dreams; work day by day for them, without colossal expectations.
Eliminate profit from the equation, at least in the beginning; do everything with and only from passion, and let at the foundation be just devotion. Because that flows in the Universe—devotion from heart to heart, to another heart 🙂 It’s not easy, but it’s extremely beautiful, and at the end of the day, the ringing of the heart is all that matters.

Alexandra Catrangiu is living proof that true elegance springs from the courage to create. With a distinctive aesthetic and a clear mission, the designer continues to inspire women to express their personality through clothes with identity and refinement.