The Pinterest boards of Fernando Rodriguez ’88 are a splendid illustration of his design aesthetic: luxurious handpainted wallpapers, classic Edith Head sketches, cerulean Caribbean landscapes, and the sophisticated hair stylings of Justin Timberlake.
“Some people read at night before going to bed, but I look at beautiful images and get inspired,” says Rodriguez, laughing. “It’s a great way to release creativity.”
His life these days is all about creating, both a home and a business with his partner, Aaron Stewart. Their 3,200-square-foot boutique and design shop — Aaron Stewart Home — opened last fall in Rodriguez’s native Puerto Rico.
With inventory that spans $20 frames to $5,000 rugs, the store quickly drew a devoted, diverse clientele. Even Conde Nast Traveler has taken notice.
Though no stranger to retail (“I grew up going from school to my family’s shoe store and doing homework in the back room”), Rodriguez took a circuitous route to his current venture.
The former Marketing major spent his 20s and 30s in fundraising at the Boston Ballet and then in sales for Colgate Palmolive and GlaxoSmithKline. A six-figure income could not quell his doubts. “I turned 40 and realized, this is not my passion.”
So he began hunting for a job in fashion. He landed at Tory Burch in the mid-2000s. The frenetic pace of work at the up-and-coming design house prompted another career leap: fashion director of lifestyle publisher Modern Luxury.
“This was finally a job that married sales and fashion,” says Rodriguez. “I was in my groove … and then we moved to Puerto Rico.”
The decision to leave Manhattan spoke to a desire for more fulfillment in the life he shares with Stewart. In setting up shop in Old San Juan, they were buoyed by Stewart’s reputation, built during years as vice president of home design for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (no relation). Their first major success: a design contract for Bahia Plaza luxury residences in Paseo Caribe.
Rodriguez is keen to help others find inspiration — and not only in home decorating. “You don’t have to be a one-trick pony, working in the same industry all your life. You can reinvent yourself as long as you’re determined and believe in yourself.”