BANDERAS NEWS
Linda Pliagas - Hispanic Magazine

Being tall, slender and beautiful may have its definite advantages, but Daisy Fuentes says people who get ahead do so because of their attitude. “I grab ahold of the opportunities presented to me and run with them,” Fuentes admits. “I’m open to whatever comes my way.”

Fuentes, who was born in Cuba, raised first in Spain, then in the United States, has been enjoying one prospect after another since she began her television career in 1986 while studying communications and journalism at Bergen Community College. She was selected as a weather girl and news reporter for the evening news on WXTV Channel 41, Univision’s New York affiliate. Fuentes quickly made her mark on the Spanish-language television community.

“The American market is something I’m more visible in, but the Spanish market gave me my start,” Fuentes revealed in a telephone conversation.

Her stint forecasting the weather did not last long. Before long, she was lured by MTV to host “MTV Internacional.” Fuentes is the only MTV VJ to host shows in both English and Spanish.

Her natural on-screen charisma quickly drew many admirers and contracts. In the early ’90s, Fuentes signed a multimillion dollar contract with Revlon—the first Hispanic woman ever to sign on with a major cosmetics label.

So much success happened so quickly that one would assume Fuentes was working day and night to skyrocket herself to stardom. On the contrary, Fuentes adheres to an easy-does-it rule of thought.

“There’s a difference between being ambitious and driven and being obsessed with success. Everything should be in moderation.” Fuentes firmly adds: “Obsession can really take over your life. The journey is more fun than the destination.”

Fuentes’ voyage has led her to a variety of projects from leading magazine covers (Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Shape, Ocean Drive and Maxim) to hosting numerous television shows (America’s Funniest Videos, MTV’s House of Style and the Miss USA Pageant—she hosted the competition in 1995, 2002 and 2003).

Most recently, Fuentes challenged herself by promoting a fitness video. She took on the role of endorsing Winsor Pilates as a favor to her friend not realizing the result would be that she would end up being in the best physical shape of her life.

“When I agreed to do the video, I realized I had to really get serious. I had to run my workouts up a notch,” she admits and then laughingly says, “I realized that people were really going to be looking at my ass.”

So how did Fuentes prepare for her role as fitness guru? “I started really watching what I ate. I lost an extra 10 pounds and added on an extra workout a week. That really made a difference,” she replies.

Fitness has always been a big part of her life. So has fashion. In fact, Fuentes always secretly wished of having her own apparel line. A few years ago, Fuentes was approached by some people interested in developing it, but things didn’t pan out. Then last June, Fuentes was approached by Regatta USA, a leading designer and marketer of branded and private label apparel.

“We were looking for an ideal candidate to have crossover appeal, as well as Hispanic appeal. Daisy was our first choice after we researched the various personalities,” says Haim Dabah, chief executive officer of Regatta USA.

The new Daisy Fuentes Collection, which consists of classic and trendy apparel pieces, accessories, shoes, and jewelry is now available through Kohl’s Department Stores.

Based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, Kohl’s is a family-focused, value oriented department store. The company operates 542 stores in 36 states. Executives at Kohl’s also agreed that Fuentes was a natural candidate to lure in Hispanics.

“Daisy has strong name-recognition among Kohl’s female shoppers, and our research shows that she appeals to a broad section of Kohl’s shoppers. Our alliance with Daisy reinforces our ongoing effort to meet the needs of our customers,” says Kevin Mansell, president of Kohl’s. Apparently, in choosing Fuentes, they picked a winner.

“Without any advertising, it’s [already] the best-selling product in the store,” claims Dabah. Fuentes says she didn’t just lend her name out to be put on labels; instead she takes pride in being involved with the outcome of her product.

“I’m a pain about [the details of] it, especially about the quality. I’m not a designer by trade. I can’t sit down and draw what I want, but I’ve worked with top stylists and top designers and I have an insight on trends.”

According to Da- bah, Fuentes is a natural-born designer. “I think she is amazingly talented. If she wasn’t born to be a television personality, she was born to be a designer. She’s got an amazing fashion sense. She’s been very intimately involved in developing the line working with the president of our company, who is the chief merchant, and it’s amazing that they are sharing exactly the same vision.”

On paper, sketches may look phenomenal, but coming up with quality merchandise isn’t easy when cost is a consideration. Fuentes says the biggest challenge for her was creating a woman’s line hip and elegant, yet affordable. Finding deals and quality is a quest all women share, she says, including herself.

For her own style, Fuentes doesn’t just grab the nearest couture ensemble in her closet. She instead likes to mix and match items. She says she may pair a designer garment with one found at Kohl’s. And, surprisingly, she’s not above shopping at thrift stores. “Anybody can go into a chic boutique on Madison Avenue and drop thousands of dollars—even that doesn’t ensure a well-put-together outfit. It’s really about putting together quality pieces.”

Her new career in fashion may be keeping her busy these days; however, Fuentes still has her sights on exploring uncharted territory.

“I’d really like to develop a talk show and also get into Spanish TV, which is something I’ve been removed from for quite a while,” she says, adding, “I think it’s important to stick with the Spanish language.”

To many, it may seem that Fuentes was lying low the past few years (she is now engaged, so her personal life is definitely being tended to), but now she’s involved in a diversity of projects and is once again being thrust into the public spotlight.

Within those quieter days, Fuentes reinvented her career and found new avenues of expression. And really, what else can one expect from a person who finds creativity in such abundance?

“I get my inspiration from everyone, everywhere and everything,” she states in a quick tempo and without even taking a breath.