Juan Cabello
I was born in Madrid, but have lived between Porto, London and São Paulo for the last 25 years. I started my academic career studying architecture. However, after I moved to London to research at the Whitechapel Gallery, I decided to base my studies on the intersection of art and architecture. I later spent a decade living in Brazil, where I developed my post-doctoral studies in Rio de Janeiro. There, I finally found the connection between architecture, technology and ecology. Outside of the classroom, I love everything that makes me think and feel, from screaming with freedom to floating in the sea. I also love techno music, botany, photography and crafts. I think with my hands and use scissors to express my thoughts and feelings.
"Be honest, be creative, get lost and enjoy the journey."
Unlocking a new world of creativity
Juan Cabello returned to his roots to teach at IE School of Architecture & Design in the Bachelor in Design: Comprehensive Design Track. Although his studies specifically began in architecture, he now views himself as living in a transdisciplinary world, "a brand new world of creativity," as he says.
During his years as an architect, Juan worked for various architecture studios in Portugal, Spain and other countries. In 1998, he opened his first studio in Porto, which he used as a creative platform, a laboratory of diverse practices and a research center. Now he’s based in Madrid.
Throughout his life, Juan has always followed fashion. As a Madrid native, he was naturally aware of the fashion scene, but this expanded beyond his home city to watch fashion changes across the world. "The way we live is the way we dress." For Juan, architecture and fashion design are incredibly similar industries. "They share the same world of creativity: matter, textures, movement, the use of light, drawings, technical aspects, and the presence of the consumer."
This approach to the fashion world guides the way he teaches his classes in the Bachelor in Design. But his teaching career began long before he landed at IE School of Architecture & Design. He started teaching when he was at school and simply never stopped. In his early days, he taught elementary-aged students, then moved on to teaching high school students, and finally started teaching at the university level while working as a researcher.
Juan sees teaching and learning as part of the same process. He explains, "The best teacher is another student," which is why he is always studying and why he encourages his students to learn from one another. In fact, he sees teaching as both a way of life and an act of generosity—for teachers and students alike.
His passion for architecture, art and fashion shows through in his teaching. He is full of creative energy and explains that you can feel it from just a short conversation with him. Plus, he describes himself as curious and always moving. "I’m constantly jumping between different disciplines. I love art, music videos, electronic music, movies and fashion shows. And if you visit me during a class, you’ll notice I share a diverse variety of references with my students." He goes on to explain that sometimes watching a Lady Gaga video helps students to better understand a concept than having them listen to a lecture. For Juan, it’s all about connecting his work and his passions.
Juan’s hope for his classroom is to help students feel the energy behind the creative process. "I would like to engage them with passion and love, good vibes and complete freedom in the things they do. Nothing is good or bad, but everything is a result of a process." Juan hopes his students learn to be confident, always putting passion into everything they do on a daily basis. "Be honest, be creative, get lost and enjoy the journey."
Looking toward the future, Juan would like to teach in a big studio where students from fashion, architecture, design and video games can come together to share their ideas and work to develop future projects together. "I think the future of teaching is multidisciplinary."
Juan would like to develop his classes with teachers from other fields of knowledge in order to come up with new ideas. His main goal is finding a place to bring people and disciplines together. In addition, he hopes that students can look at fashion as another way to make people feel free and confident in the creative process.