Richard Ruiz, the New York City based couturier, designs elegant upscale dresses, pants, and blouses with a special attention to excellent tailoring. And it's easy to see why: the 35-year-old boricua worked as a tailor to the stars for many years before launching his own line in fall 2006. (Visit richardruiznyc.com to check out his design evolution.)

Latina.com spoke with Ruiz just as he was readying his second spring collection: