Rocio Aguirre grew up immersed in fashion and art. She's been exploring the field since she was a child, watching her father work in a public relations agency and teaching her how to communicate her feelings and experiences through images. Born in 1989 in Chile, Aguirre first developed an interest in photography when she was 14 years old, after her family had settled in the city of Concepcion after many years of moving around.
Aguirre set up her first photography studio in her basement when she was 15 years old, creating a space for her imagination to roam free while developing an understanding that in her career, the only limit that exists is the one you make for yourself.
Aguirre's talent quickly attracted the attention of large brands, even though she's opened up about the difficulties that she's shared in her career, especially as a woman in a male-dominated field. Still, thanks to her determination and her character, Aguirre made a name for herself and began working with brands like Nike, Pepsi, Tous, Levi's, Adidas, among many others.
Her photography, characterized by her love of cinema, particularly of the '70s, and the use of lights on analog film, soon caught the eyes of magazine editors and businessmen working with different record labels. It facilitated her work with artists like Griff, C.Tangana, Cami, and Paloma Mami.
"I learned to make each shot count and to know what I wanted to do with each photo. That's key today in my work."
In 2017, Aguirre continued her studies at the Penumbra Foundation in New York. The following year, she began teaching fashion and publicity at the Foto Design School in Chile while also serving as a teacher at the Laboratory of Mixed Arts in Spain. She continued to attract attention for her work, writing her first book in 2019, called "Helados."
Despite all of the success she amassed in Chile and the US, Aguirre decided to move to Madrid to continue her relationship with the singer C.Tangana, with the two first meeting at a bar in 2019, and developing an instant connection.
Following her move, Aguirre continued to focus on her work, forming collaborations and relationships with diverse brands. In 2020, she and C. Tangana spent some of the pandemic in Mexico, a decision that solidified their relationship and provided them with an extra layer of intimacy. While the pair prefers to keep their relationship private, it's obvious that they're there for each other, providing an important source of support in their lives and careers.
"The biggest challenge of my career is getting people to work with me because they like my work and it fits with them. That's more important than becoming an important character or having followers."
Through her career and experiences, Aguirre has learned that she has a great responsibility in her hands whenever she snaps a photograph. "I think it's very easy to read the historical moment that we're living through the lens of fashion. As photographers, we play an important part. We can capture what's happening, with its social and political context," she said in an interview with Harper's Bazaar.