Colombiamoda and Colombiatex 2022 opened up on Monday, July 25, with a fashion show and exhibition packed with craftsmanship, upcycling, and Latin American history. The event’s 33rd edition, which also included Mexico, Guatemala, and other countries as special guests, united communities and their incredible contribution to the fashion industry.
Designer Juan Pablo Socarrás kicked off the fashion week is his presentation of “Handmade Stories” and the opening with “A-Mar,” a collection described as “a hurricane, a deep whirlwind that hides secrets.”
As reported by EFE, Socarrás said the project shows “the best of Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico” through fabrics and embroidery. The collection was built by 90 women from the Ubaté Valley (Colombia), Santo Domingo de Xenacoj (Guatemala), and San Antonino Castillo Velasco (Mexico).
The “A-Mar” pieces included different techniques such as embroidery, crochet, recycled fibers, and more. The collection also features organic cotton, canvas, wool, silk chiffon, cloth, and silk shantung.
The technical director and curator of the Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Costumes in Guatemala, Violeta Gutiérrez, told EFE their mission is to “ rescue of tradition” and keep indigenous techniques alive in the country. “It allowed us to make the weavers keep their traditions by giving them work,” she told the publication.
Medellín served as the epicenter of these two fairs, organized by the Institute for Exports and Fashion (Inexmoda). Held at the Plaza Mayor event center, 400 exhibitors, 10,000 national and international specialized buyers, and nearly 30,000 visitors will delight in the so-called “Colombian Fashion Week” and their goal of making conscious fashion mainstream.