145- Angelica Valente: Creative Director of VALENTE, KATSEYE, Megan Thee Stallion, PUMA, Tik Tok, Usher, Paris Hilton and Co-Founder of Spaced Visuals.

Interview Date: July 26th, 2026Episode Summary:In this episode of The Business of Dance Podcast, Menina Fortunato reconnects with Hollywood Summer Tour alum Angelica Valente, whose journey has taken her from competitive dancer in Thunder Bay, Ontario, to an LA-based director, producer, fashion designer, and creative entrepreneur. Angelica shares how an early trip to Los Angeles changed the trajectory of her life, eventually inspiring her to move to LA at 17 to study dance. While pursuing a professional dance career, her interests in fashion, film, editing, styling, and creative direction began opening doors she never originally imagined.Angelica opens up about navigating the entertainment industry as an international artist, from OPT and the O-1 visa process to developing the work ethic, resourcefulness, and relationships necessary to build a career in the United States. She shares how she co-founded Spaced Visuals, grew from working with emerging artists to major productions, and eventually launched her own fashion label, VALENTE. Today, her worlds of dance, film, fashion, and creative direction intersect through productions, campaigns, custom stagewear, and visual storytelling.Throughout the conversation and mentee Q&A, Angelica encourages dancers to remain open to where their careers can lead, take risks before they feel completely ready, and create opportunities rather than waiting for permission. Her journey is a powerful reminder that dance can be the foundation for countless careers beyond performing—and that the skills dancers develop can continue shaping their success in unexpected ways.Shownotes:0:00 – Meet director and designer Angelica Valente3:23 – Growing up dancing in Thunder Bay5:15 – Discovering Los Angeles and dreaming bigger8:06 – Expanding from dance into creative direction9:28 – Film, editing, fashion spark new passions11:36 – Navigating OPT and the O-1 visa17:42 – Building Spaced Visuals from the ground up19:26 – Launching VALENTE and learning fashion independently21:19 – Designing custom stagewear for KATSEYE24:33 – Recognizing how far you have come26:32 – Taking risks before you feel ready28:45 – How dance strengthens creative direction skills33:14 – Q&A: Dreaming beyond what you can see38:40 – Q&A: Create your own career opportunities47:21 – Exploring careers beyond being the performerBiography:Angelica Valente is a director and fashion designer based in Los Angeles. She is the co-founder of Spaced Visuals, a multidisciplinary creative studio known for crafting cinematic campaigns, music videos, and visual identities for artists and global brands including Usher, Chris Brown, Megan Thee Stallion, Meghan Trainor, GIVĒON, Masego, PUMA, Coca-Cola, TikTok, 100 Thieves, and SoundCloud.Alongside her production work, Angelica is the founder and creative director of VALENTE, a luxury fashion label recognized for its sculptural silhouettes, cinematic storytelling, and handcrafted collections. Since launching in 2021, VALENTE has designed custom stagewear for KATSEYE, with pieces worn during major appearances including the GRAMMYs, as well as custom looks for Paris Hilton. Her designs have also been worn by Jordin Sparks, Tori Kelly on Good Morning America, Rhea Raj, WNBA champion Jackie Young, and Atsuko Okatsuka for the Emmy Awards.Whether directing a campaign, designing a collection, or shaping an artist’s creative era, Angelica brings together film, fashion, and brand strategy to create immersive visual identities that live seamlessly across multiple mediums. Her work is defined by bold creative direction, cinematic storytelling, and a relentless focus on crafting ideas that leave a lasting cultural impression.Connect on Social Media:Website:www.spacedvisuals.com www.valenteworld.comInstagram:www.instagram.com/angelicavalente_ www.instagram.com/spacedvisualswww.instagram.com/valenteworld_