I arrive at our meeting spot on Otero street, and as I walk through the front garden—filled with the scent of fresh spring blooms—I head toward the Rotunda café. The café is a beautiful, glass-walled space that opens up to the garden, creating a peaceful vibe. At a sunny table, I meet Sofía and Kevin, the creative power couple behind Rotunda. Around us, I notice other work meetings happening—laptops, notebooks, and fresh breakfast plates mixing with the aroma of coffee. In the back, I spot Rotunda’s concept store, and upstairs is their HQ.
Sofía invites me to take a tour of their offices, and as we walk, I get a true sense of the world they’ve built. Every detail reflects Rotunda’s signature aesthetic: the stunning architecture of the house, the carefully chosen art, and the mirrors scattered throughout, inviting you to check your outfit—perfect for a quick selfie. “Everything is very Aztec,” Sofía says with a grin, using ‘Aztec’ instead of ‘aesthetic’ as an inside joke. It makes me laugh, and honestly, it feels so Rotunda—playful, stylish, and totally unique.
Their headquarters is located in Carrasco, a beautiful residential area in Montevideo. The house has several rooms, each dedicated to a different part of the business: admin, management, design, and communications. The team—or the tribe, as they like to call themselves—takes advantage of our spontaneous tour, stopping to ask Sofía questions or chat for a minute. Surprisingly, I don’t see an office just for Sofía, so I ask her about it. She laughs and says, “I don’t have an office right now. It’s kind of the eternal postponement of motherhood,” holding up her phone. “This is my office!” It’s true—her whole world seems to run from that little device. Through her Instagram account, @soysofsof, Sofía shares glimpses of her life and work: creative processes, store setups, her IVF journey, her spiritual side, and so much more, always with her signature sense of humor and eye for the beautiful.
Recently, Rotunda celebrated its 10th anniversary with an amazing circus-themed party. I asked Sofía how the idea for such a fun concept came about and how she felt that night.
“Rotunda is always bringing fresh ideas—capsule collections, products, store concepts—so we wanted our 10-year celebration to reflect our playful spirit. During a brainstorming session with the team, we started throwing out ideas. We knew it would be conceptual and a bit ‘Aztec’ (laughs), and then someone mentioned ‘Rotulandia,’ which is what we’ve called our WhatsApp group since the beginning. We all instantly loved the idea. The challenge was finding the right partners to bring it to life, but everything came together because our team is so passionate about what they do.”
“The party started as something small for the tribe (about 99 people), but soon grew to include friends and media, and before we knew it, we had 400 confirmed guests! It was a huge success. That night I felt euphoric, emotional, and incredibly grateful. It also made me a little nostalgic, as I reflected on just how far we’ve come.”
As we looked back over the last decade, I asked Sofía if she could share any standout behind-the-scenes moments from Rotunda’s journey.
“Oh, there are so many! One I’ll never forget is the night before one of our first MoWeek events (MoWeek is like our version of fashion week in Uruguay). We had 1000 pairs of shoes perfectly stacked and ready to be transported the next morning to the event. But that night, it rained heavily, and water got into the warehouse, soaking the bottom boxes and causing the entire stack to collapse. When we arrived, the shoes were literally floating in the water. But that’s when the tribe steps in. We always come together to handle whatever comes our way. These moments make me so proud of the team.”
A year ago, Rotunda opened Otero x Rotunda, a café and concept store combo in their new HQ. I asked how the idea of blending fashion and food came about.
“It was kind of unexpected. We had decided to move our offices from downtown Montevideo to Carrasco, and we were searching for the perfect space. The real estate agent wanted to show us a house that was outside our budget, but as soon as we walked through the garden, we knew we had to have it. Kevin loves coffee and has always dreamed of having a Rotunda café, like those of top international brands. So when we saw this house, we thought, ‘This is it.’ It’s a beautiful old house with a gorgeous front garden, perfect for the café.”
“At first, we imagined just a few tables outside and a coffee machine—but like everything at Rotunda, the idea grew quickly. We met Momo (Jerónimo Sánchez Varela), who had a lot of experience in food and beverage projects. He told us that just a coffee shop wouldn’t be enough, and suggested we expand the concept to include breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks. We partnered with him and got to work. Rotunda couldn’t afford the whole project, so we decided to invite the tribe to invest. From as little as $300, people could become co-owners. We ended up with 27 investors, including friends and family, all part of the Rotunda family.”
“How long did it take to open?”
“One year. We built a beautiful glass dome to create an oasis in the middle of the city. And during the process, I was pregnant. On the day we opened Otero, my water broke—two big events in one day!”
Motherhood clearly had a big impact on Sofía’s life and the brand. I asked how becoming a mom changed things at Rotunda.
“Motherhood changed everything. It was a challenge for Kevin and me to balance family and work. Kevin was running Rotunda, but I wanted to be with our son, Akiva. There’s a reality: fathers often have more freedom, and mothers are more tied to their children, which can create feelings of jealousy or frustration. I had to take my time and slowly figure out how to merge both worlds. It’s tough. Mothers need a lot of support from companies. Rotunda is a feminist brand, but we didn’t have a nursing room until I went through the experience myself. A month after Akiva was born, we installed changing tables in the bathrooms at Otero. We’re improving, but there’s still a long way to go.”
Before we wrapped up, I asked Sofía about Rotunda’s international expansion and how their launch in the U.S. has been.
“We have a store in Paraguay, and just a few months ago, we launched our e-commerce in the U.S. Kevin had been working on the plan for two years, originally targeting Spain. But then we met a digital commerce expert who suggested we focus on the U.S. instead. It’s a massive opportunity, and we couldn’t resist. Now, Rotunda USA is 100% digital, and we’re exporting our stock from Uruguay. We started small, with shoes, bags, and some coats, and we’re learning more about the market every day. The digital world is exciting, and we’re open to all the possibilities it offers.”
Quick Fire Round:
- A movie: Life is Beautiful by Roberto Benigni
- A book: Spiritually, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. For fiction, anything by Ken Follett.
- A fear: Human violence and cruelty
- A dream: To live on a farm surrounded by animals
