Estefanía Ruilope Madrid

Madrid

Updated Sunday, March 31, 2024-23:57

Husband and wife, they have also been business partners for more than a decade.

Antonio Rodríguez

came from the agri-food sector, a world that has nothing to do with his current job, where he was: "Six years employed by an agri-food product intermediation company for Serbia and Montenegro. There I took part of the Spanish industry, like Pascual or Pescanova".

Ana Ródenas

, on the other hand, was involved in some way in fashion, since she was in charge of the Hackett children's account. Before arriving, Antonio tried the wine sector, which seemed hard and too social, so: "one day I consulted Ana, who was already my partner, and she told her boss, José María Pasquín, about me. Hackett, to find a job for Antoñito.

No sooner said than done. They gave him the first opportunity in the showroom, selling pieces from the

Woolrich

brand in Spain. After two years the opportunity arose to stay with her. "I expressed my desire and told them that I wanted to continue. I presented myself as a candidate in Italy, they supported my candidacy and I became independent," says Antonio.

This is how The Cruditè Company

was born ,

his company-showroom specialized in brands with a functional component that he opened with his wife, who confesses that "starting with Woolrich helped us get others to come." Shortly after, he knocked on the door of the French sustainable sneaker brand

Veja

, which, as Antonio tells it. "They came to look for us, and we fell in love with their beautiful project. Eleven years have passed since that day and we are still here."

Ana Ródenas and Antonio Rodríguez pose in their showroom in Argensola.DÍAZ DE VIVAR

Today The Cruditè Company, a name that they say means nothing ("but it sounded good to both of us"), has a sales section and another dedicated to PR and communication in the Salesas neighborhood: "somehow they go hand in hand, since it is very important to communicate what we are going to sell," argues Ana.

The uniting point of all the brands they represent is that they have an interesting story to tell. "For example, Woolrich is from 1830.

Baracuta

was born in the 1930s in Manchester, and they are the inventors of the bomber.

Blundstone

, the famous boots, dates back to 1870 in Tasmania, and

Deus ex Machina

generates curious stories of the motorcycle "Adds Ana.

An anecdote that they find funny to share was in Milan, "we were at a global marketing presentation for Woolrich, where a photo of Richard Gere and his wife wearing a parka from the firm was projected, and they congratulated us on the effect achieved. It's just that "We know the woman, and we were lucky that they liked the product and put it on, the photo went worldwide!" Ana tells us. The same thing happened with Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina. Another planetary hit.

It is inevitable to ask what it is like to work with your partner. Ana starts to answer: "It's a good balance, but at home I try not to talk about work. He would be there all day, because he loves him. It's true that it's very difficult to separate them." Each one has a role in the company, and it is strictly respected. Antonio is the CEO and in charge of the sales department, while Ana is in charge of communication.

"We consult each other or give ideas, but no one interferes in the other's field. It is true that, at the beginning, it was more complicated because, since we were few, we did everything together, even the shopping route. Of course, I taught and He sold women, and he focused on men. It was a spontaneous and natural dynamic and there was no way to separate us. Now, each of us has his space and his tasks, we even work on different floors! I am very stubborn, passionate and sensitive, and he is straighter and more rigid. We are both a ticking time bomb, but, although it sounds strange, we get along perfectly."

In Argensola

Her showroom does not stop growing and expanding meters on the same street where it all began (Argensola, 4), but the beginnings were in her own house at number 14, as Ana says laughing. "When we had to show the seasonal collections we put everything in one room, including the sofa, the TV, the photo frames... I remember Antonio telling me: take a shower quickly, it smells like shampoo. We prayed that the clients wouldn't get confused. door when going to the bathroom.

Now they are preparing the arrival of a very interesting, classic and iconic new brand that Antonio prefers not to anticipate. "Then things get cut short. I'm just going to tell you that it's going to be very surprising. It's Spanish, it has a very curious story and I think it's going to be very well received, but we have to wait until May to find out the rest."

ID

-In 2007 they started the company in their own home.

-They have three floors of showroom on Argensola Street

-Its flagship brand is Woolrich