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Food stylist Mariana Velásquez might have left Colombia to search for new flavours but the food that her forebears made has informed her work ever since.

Boundless versatility

Monocle:How did you get into food styling?

Mariana Velásquez: I was born in Bogotá. My mother and grandmother are both amazing cooks, so I made a business out of it. I started cooking in restaurants before I moved into magazines but eventually found that styling and designing tablescapes is where it all really comes together for me. After all, it’s when we sit together and eat at a table that food becomes a ritual. Food is what we use to mark milestones throughout life, whether that’s toasting an achievement or celebrating someone’s birthday.

M:Does your background inspire you?

MV: When I left Colombia, I didn’t want anything to do with Colombian food. But when I wrote my book, Colombiana, it all poured out of me. The colours, textures and ingredients that I grew up with will always be a part of me. 

M:What does your daily routine look like?

MV: My day usually begins at the farmers’ market, where I choose all the best ingredients. Then I spend the day cooking, designing tablescapes and working with clients. 

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Always on hand, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip4 is as adaptable as you need it to be and tough enough to withstand anything that comes its way – even the kitchen sink.

Flex your imagination

Mariana Velásquez is a busy woman. She runs a wildly successful food styling and catering company that services clients as diverse as Vogue, The White House (under Michelle Obama’s watch) and Macy’s department store. Velásquez finds inspiration everywhere and her roots in Colombia provide her with ample creative stimulus, a gift for communication and a Latin exuberance.

For those of us with an insatiable appetite for self-expression, the Galaxy Z Flip4 is the toughest foldable device Samsung has built and enhances our favourite features. And with FlexCam, a versatile hands-free camera, we can conduct video calls, find inspiration or post reels and stories while we work.

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Working with a range of clients clear and compelling communication any time, anywhere – and the compact nature of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 makes it the ideal utensil.

All in the palm of your hand

Monocle:How do you keep track of your creative process? Do you use technology?

Mariana Velásquez: Visually, I keep track of all my references on my phone, often taking screenshots of movies that inspire me, which I then use to create moodboards. Scenes from films such as Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love and Luca Guadanigno’s I Am Love inspire me. I also often use my phone as a preview before the photographer comes and takes photos, creating polaroids for myself. More often than not, I am documenting everything I’m getting in real time and communicating back and forth with my team. 

M:What role does communication play in your job? How often do you use your phone? 

MV: I feel that communication is more casual now. It’s less about big presentations than it used to be, so I often send clients a text telling them what I found at the prop house, so I can ask them what they think about it in real time. Things are much more loose, casual and on-the-go, which means that we can produce more content than ever before.

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We have always been fascinated by innovators. Those global changemakers who dare to disregard boundaries and kick down barriers to open themselves up to new thoughts and experiences. Only those who throw themselves head first into their passions with an unrestricted desire to invent will succeed in shaping tomorrow. Samsung also believes in challenging the status quo and that life is better when we open our minds, hearts and ears to the world around us. We invite you to open up to a new generation of Samsung Galaxy phones: the Z Flip4 and the Z Fold4.