by 
Fans of the “Project Runway” spinoff “Under the Gunn” may recognize Ozcar Garcia-Lopez’s name from his appearance on the reality show, but Lara Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle turned to the designer for their prom dresses Presidential inauguration on Monday evening.
The Cuban-American designer met members of the Trump family after being invited to galas at Mar-a-Lago by some of his clients years ago. Trump, whose husband Eric is the younger son of the former president and future president, wore a Garcia-Lopez creation to Donald Trump’s first inauguration and to the 2016 presidential debates. She met the Coral Gables-based creative through a friend who shared his design portfolio with Trump. Trump, a former television producer with two children, is also a former co-chair of the Republican National Committee. They also worked on editorial shoots for Hola! together. Magazine and for the annual New Year’s Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, including when she sang on stage with Tom Petty at the bash last month. The designer has also dressed Donald Trump’s younger daughter Tiffany.
More from WWD
Garcia-Lopez was born and raised in Cuba. He lived in Mexico for four years before moving to the United States in 2005, where he became an American citizen. His family lore traces his design skills to his grandmother, who designed menswear, and her sister, who was a master of evening wear. As a boy, he was constantly visiting the seamstresses in his neighborhood and enjoyed dismantling garments to examine the construction. “Basically, I just learned it myself by practicing sewing. To be honest, I think it’s a gift because sometimes I do something and I don’t know how I did it.”
After founding his company in 2008, he faced Tim Gunn’s criticism of the “Project Runway” spinoff more than a decade ago. He is the creative director of Ozcar G. Couture and Oscar Lopez Designs. Garcia-Lopez couldn’t reveal the details of what Trump will wear on Monday night, saying, “It’s very fashionable, elegant and has an Audrey Hepburn vibe. It’s a color that every woman loves.”
Millions will be waiting to see what Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.’s former fiancé and newly minted U.S. ambassador to Greece, will wear on Monday night. The designer said: “I can’t say anything because I want it to be a complete surprise.”
As was the case with Lara Trump, the 51-year-old creative and Guilfoyle developed a friendship after working on editorial shoots and initially meeting at galas at Mar-a-Lago. Years ago, Guilfoyle was romantically linked to now-California Gov. Gavin Newsom during his term as mayor of San Francisco. His couture dresses retail for over $5,000, while wedding dresses cost significantly more, even ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 or more. “Normally my work is very complex. I like difficult things,” he said, adding that Trump’s attire was equivalent to five days of non-stop work. The same goes for Guilfoyle’s dress. While Lara Trump prefers “very clean, very reserved and elegant” styles, Guilfoyle is “more sassy, very sensual and she likes to show off her curves.” She has a beautiful body. They are two different personalities.”
So what are they like? “They are both very easy to work with. They are very nice and very tidy. I’ve never had any problems with them. They trust me,” he said. “I always like to ask my customers what they like and don’t like about themselves. Ultimately it is a collaboration between the client and the designer. But they always trust the designer – I love that.”
A recent wedding dress made by Garcia-Lopez for a bride in Paris required four months of work, including 70 hours of embroidery. He declined to comment on the price of the wedding dress due to a confidentiality agreement with the Parisian bride. There are clients who don’t even like social media, so sometimes I don’t post things because they’re very private.
He said he taught himself English by listening to music and watching subtitled films in America. Asked about the new president’s plans for increased deportations, Garcia-Lopez said: “I don’t normally like to talk about politics because I’m an artist and a fashion designer. I think this country offers you a lot of opportunities if you just follow the laws and choose the right things. I am a very good example of this. I came to this country and learned the language first, which is very important. I come from a communist country [like Cuba] You have to understand that there are things you have to do when you go to a new country.”
Next on the designer’s agenda are wedding dresses for 2026. “And customers are so impatient. They just want to work with you – we have time, you know?”
The best of WWD
Sign up for the WWD newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
