The designer at work: Rhea Costa's story woven with the threads of fate

Two breathtakingly beautiful and extremely fit women in their twenties try some clothes on, while obediently listening to Arthur, the stylist and designer Andreea Constantin’s right hand. One of them, a mother of two, although weighing little over 48 kilos and being 'model tall', keeps comparing her weight to her friend’s, when the designer enters the room. Andreea wears a loose overall, supporting her relaxed and unassuming, yet confident look. She seems laid back and pleased with where she currently is in her life. By Corina Dumitrescu It was only four years ago that Andreea Constantin was sitting on a bench just outside a multinational company building, about to accept a well-paid corporate job, when her phone rang and she was offered a much sought after fashion editor position. If her phone hadn’t rung at that precise moment, who knows whether the rising Rhea Costa Romanian fashion brand would have existed today. Four years down the road, she spends most of the day at her workshop, imagining new outfits until late in the evening. She occasionally shows up at the showroom as well, to catch up with her clients, some of whom she has befriended. She has managed to build an original system, through which she involves the client in the creation process, by coding each component of every single piece of clothing. The customer can mix elements from already existing designs and have them incorporated into a new design, which is easy to order, design and put together. Andreea Constantin's usual work day begins at 9.00 in the morning, after staying late at night in her workshop. A quarter of an hour to get ready, grab a coffee and then straight to work. At the workshop, she checks the daily flow, answers e-mails, verifies orders, sees what needs to be delivered during the day, contacts various collaborators, in order to distribute products wherever they’re needed in Romania and then spends quite a lot of time working on patterns. When she creates sketches, she begins by drawing a geometrical shape, located at the back of the dress, which she then develops and accessorizes. Not long ago, while modeling in Paris, Andreea discovered how much she loved doing this after she was given the chance to create her own outfit. She had done it for years, without even realizing, by offering fashion advice to her friends and family, who appreciated her way of dressing. The beginnings