Sofía Román: the lioness who abandoned sports due to injury and is now a successful designer.
At just 17, she joined Las Leonas and excelled as a midfielder and forward on the Argentine hockey team, which was runner-up at the Champions Trophy and Pan American champion. She played in the pre-Olympic tournament in Beijing 2007, and after four years of training for the Junior World Cup in Boston 2009, a South African player broke her hand in the semifinal. After the injury, Sofía Román made a life change: she went to study fashion in New York and became a fashion designer. Her evening dress studio now dresses celebrities and also opened the door to a role on Argentine television. "I have that drive that sports gave me, that strength that taught me not to give up," she says, at 36. The same applies to love: she separated with three young children, remarried last year, and is currently in the process of starting a family with her new partner. She spoke about this and more with LA NACION.
–You're from Mar del Plata, did you come to the big city to play?
–Yes, after the Champions Trophy in Quilmes, Carlos Retegui—the coach of Las Leonas—told me I had to move to Buenos Aires and immerse myself in the high-level competition of Argentine hockey. I came from there and went to GEBA: training was daily and the commitment was total. I began to really get my hands on the competition. It was a huge challenge, but when you do what you love, the sacrifice turns into adrenaline. And that's when I understood that big dreams always require you to give your all. I came because I always knew I wanted more. Mar del Plata is my roots, the place where I learned to play hockey, to chase a ball. But Buenos Aires gave me wings. It tested me, took me apart, and put me back together.
–Did you miss out because of an injury?
–Yes. I broke my hand in a World Cup semifinal. Missing out after four years of training for that competition was a huge blow. I had many months of recovery, and then I decided to stop. A complete player has to be in good shape physically, mentally, and emotionally, but I wasn't feeling well anymore. I was too young, everything came at me too fast, and I couldn't sustain it. And I think the injury was a product of everything that was happening to me. Although the injury forced me to stop, today I know that what weighed on me the most was not being able to handle the pressure. Over time, I forgave myself, understood my limits, and turned that stumble into the impetus to reinvent myself.
–What new direction did you give your life?
I stopped playing around and poured all my energy into my creative side: I began a career in fashion design in Mar del Plata. I launched a ready-to-wear brand that made a huge impact locally. I did top-notch tailoring, in the same vein as my current studio: with a lot of mixing of textures, which might not match in your head. I think that's my signature as a designer. I turned the crisis into a driving force for professional growth, and when I felt like I had a ceiling in my city, I flew to New York to finish my training at Pratt Institute. There I worked for Vogue and organized an unforgettable trunk show for my brand on a SoHo terrace.
–You went from player to entrepreneur, and in between, you became a mother three times over. Why did you choose to have your children here?
–In New York, I met my children's father and got pregnant with my first baby. We tried to stay there, but it was very difficult being away from my family. It's an incredible city, but very intense, and also very lonely. I didn't feel it was the right environment to go through a pregnancy, so we decided to move back. From then on, I focused completely on motherhood and my next two children.
–Then you separated with young children…
–Then came the separation. They were very young, and it was a difficult but necessary decision, the healthiest one for everyone. A separation is a huge crisis, but I strongly believe in second chances, in being reborn.
–What was it like marrying your new partner and your three children?
Getting married in a church and starting a family again was one of the most beautiful things that ever happened to me. Cone, my husband [referring to Felipe “Conejo” Bourel], came along at a time when I needed to believe again and helped me rise from very dark places. He empowered me, encouraged me, and stood by me with love and without judgment. Today we are partners in my new brand and in life. We built a family from love, patience, and trust. And for me, that is as great an achievement as any.
–You designed your own dress, what was that process like?
–From plain tulle, I created a patchwork of fabrics, using all the leftovers. I used scraps from the dresses I'd made over the years, fabrics that carried history, and transformed them into something new. It was unforgettable: designing my own dress was an act of love, not only for Cone, but also for myself and everything I'd been through. It was like closing one cycle and opening another.
–Was your own wedding the seed for creating your party brand?
–Absolutely. I never liked wedding dresses; everything I saw seemed cold and boring. When I had to think about my dress, I realized something was missing: a different take on naivety, for a modern, free bride with identity. That's when I realized I wanted to offer that. That's how the idea of a brand that combined design, strength, and emotion was born.
–When was Sofía Román Atelier born?
–In 2023, I gave it a name, shape, and soul. It was a pivotal year of growth and important decisions. Today, the brand continues to grow, and we have many new projects.
–Lali Espósito [soon to grace the cover of a fashion magazine with a design by Román], Mica Tinelli, Natalie Pérez… You’ve already dressed a lot of celebrities, what occasions do they choose you for?
–For special moments, when they want to feel powerful, different. Every person who enters the Atelier realizes the work behind every detail of the garments.
–Tell us about the project of assembling families, how did you achieve it?
–It's something we're still building; patience and love must prevail. It doesn't happen overnight, but we're building it carefully. We're a family with history, with scars, but also with incredible strength. Because we love each other, and we both want the same thing.
–What is your next goal?
–Expand further. I want the brand to generate a large community, not just for dresses, but a haven for women. Beyond my professional life, my goal is to remain true to myself. And that what I do inspires others to dare to dream.
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