Highlights of Colombiamoda, Days 2 & 3
LEE ESTE POST EN ESPAÑOL.
After four days exploring the fashion trends of the Latin American region, navigating our way through crowds of crazed Colombian fashionistas, and exploring the thoughtful creative process of the Colombian fashion designer, the 30th edition of Colombia Fashion Week finally came to a close yesterday, connecting 475 brands with 11,800 buyers, 12% international and 88% local— once again proving why Colombiamoda is the premiere platform for seeking out the best of Colombian fashion design. Here are our highlights from days 2 and 3 of the fair.
MEV
Designer: Maria Elena Villamil
Collection: Resort 2020 ‘Ser’ (Be)
Inspiration: Brutalist architecture; introspection and connection with the self
Palette: Neutrals, olive green, and orange
Last year, Maria Elena Villamil launched her new casual wear line ‘MEV’, a more mainstream and inclusive alternative to her primary brand, Maria Elena Villamil. In line with the principles of Brutalist architecture, MEV’s new collection exalts purity, simplicity, and geometry, and features varying lengths of casual wear that drape and fold, cinch and cut, creating new volumes in nylon, cotton, jersey, denim and leather. It is interesting to note that the casting for this show welcomed all body types, focusing on clothes to complement all silhouettes.
Renata Lozano
Designer: Renata Lozano
Collection: Exótica Collection
Inspiration: India and its chakras
Palette: The colors of the chakras
Upon starting work on this collection, designer Renata Lozano set a personal challenge for herself: to use every last remnant of fabric in her atelier. It was her own private rebellion against fast fashion and its catastrophic effects on the planet— and it’s a good thing she did it. The result is a rich combination of casual fabrics with luxurious and delicate ones, in a mixture of tones that recall India’s chakras — violet, indigo, blue, green, gold, orange and red. Silhouettes range from maharaja coats, to an echo of the top Indian women wear under their sari, and even ‘genie’ pants.
Alexandra Bueno
Designer: Alexandra Bueno
Collection: ‘Andariega’
Inspiration: Colombian coffee and nomadic women from the Colombian tropic
Color Scheme: Whites, beige, baby blue and olive green, with pops of colors like gold-yellow
The fourth collection by Alexandra Bueno takes inspiration from Colombia’s coffee heritage— particularly the nomadic women of the Colombian tropic that are tasked with collecting it. As always, Bueno’s silhouettes are feminine, young, and powerful, yet relaxed— transmitting the spirit of the forward-thinking Colombian woman.
Andres Otalora
Designer: Andres Otalora
Collection: Resort 2020 ‘Las Caraqueñas’
Inspiration: The elegance and opulence of Venezuela’s golden age
Color Scheme: Off-white, mustard yellow, blue and green tones, plus black and white
Inspired by his mother, and other women from Venezuela of the 1970s and 80s, Andres Otalora created this collection to celebrate the elegance and opulence of Venezuela’s golden age. The collection comprises dresses printed in colorful motifs of Asian and European upholstery, on fabrics like linen, cotton and silks. His patterns were developed through an Asian dying technique called ‘Ikat,’ used to pattern textiles by resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric— a meticulous and time-consuming process. For Otalora, it represents a much more minimalist collection in comparison to his previous collections; one prepped for an international audience and everyday wear.
Alado
Designers: Alejandro González and Andrés Restrepo
Collection: ‘Terracota’
Inspiration: Colombian pottery
Color Scheme: Shades of tan, terracotta and indigo
‘Terracota’ pays tribute to traditional pre-Columbian ceramics. The collection presents looks that recall clay and mud textures. Ample and voluminous, sleeves were prominent on the catwalk, and each look featured a combination of rigid and draping fabrics that juxtaposed with the mise en scène of an anthropology museum. What better way to close Colombia Fashion Week than with an homage to the country’s greatest heritage: artisanship.