Travel, Fashion and Inspiration: The Origin of The Fresh Row in Dubai.

When I received the email confirming my trip to Dubai for Fashion Week in 2024, I couldn’t believe it. And I say this with no airs, truly, hand on heart. The heart of a content creator who’s been writing on his blog for over ten years and who, despite always feeling the support of his community, never imagined this moment would come.

I had dreamed of this countless times. I had visualized it. But when it finally becomes real, so many things happen at once that it’s hard to pause and savor it. Between visa paperwork, permits to renew, and endless logistics—the so-called “first world problems,” but problems nonetheless—I barely had a chance to breathe. I swear, when I boarded that plane on my very first trip to Dubai, all I could do was cry tears of joy. I even wrote a beautiful letter, which I promise to share with you soon to inspire you. But today, I want to tell you that from this journey—wonderful yet exhausting—The Fresh Row was born.

The epiphany came almost without warning. It was four in the morning when I arrived at a hotel that looked like something out of a dream. I slept very little; the excitement wouldn’t let me rest. And then, in the right place at the right time, it clicked: I was on the other side of the world, living the dream of that little boy who once staged fashion shows with Play-Doh while being told to play with toy cars instead.

During my very first show, the big question struck me: why not create my own platform? It wasn’t a groundbreaking or million-dollar idea. I wasn’t reinventing relativity. I had already run a blog with more than 800,000 visits—a space that opened doors and allowed me to build community. But in that instant, almost without thinking, the words came out: The Fresh Row.

The name was spontaneous: I wanted something fresh, and I was sitting in the front row. But more than that, I wanted you there with me, by my side, in every one of these magical experiences. Because 15 minutes of a story or 20 photos in a carousel are never enough. You and I met differently: me writing, you reading. And that has always been my way of connecting.

Why did I step away from writing? Because after finishing Renacer, my first book, I was completely drained. And if you’ve only known me recently, you might not know that in 2020 I fought face-to-face with death. I wouldn’t say I won; simply, like in football, I was given extra time. And from that moment on, I decided to live life at full throttle.

The Fresh Row is a space for dreamers, for those who believe in themselves, for creators. Beyond showing you the collection of an emerging or established designer, I want you to see yourself in every story. I want you to picture yourself in that Paris Fashion Week seat, or on the runway you’ve always dreamed of. And if fashion isn’t your thing, you’re still welcome here—because this is, above all, a safe space to be inspired.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for believing in me.

Thank you for welcoming The Fresh Row.

And most of all, thank you for believing in yourself.

I’m certain that together we’ll achieve wonderful things.

Love,

Ostwald Guillén