The Colombian fashion resurgence
First came the socialite- fashion editor Lauren Santo Domingo, then Vogue and every lifestyle magazine that had some degree of power, and then, of course, world dominance. Today, every fashion person has in her wardrobe a “made in Colombia” design, and all of us can agree that Colombia is living a golden age. However, the resurgence of the Colombian fashion scene is not something new and it began almost a decade ago.
As the country moved further away from frightful narco- paradise, and vigorous cities like Cartagena, Medellin and Bogota were rebranded and redesigned, tourists and creative minds from all over the world flocked to the South American country where they found innovative designs and incredibly talented and inventive minds. A buoyant spirit blew through art, design, architecture, cuisine and fashion, and thanks to this newly found enthusiasm, Colombia went through a process of rebranding, becoming a hot spot for everything that is cool and original. Nowadays, we can no longer talk about trends, style and fashion, without mentioning Colombia. Legendary designers like Silvia Tcherassi who were already a hit on the local market have received global recognition, while recent players like Johanna Ortiz (the Moda Operandi darling) have become household names.
Various Colombian styles have been promoted to the wider public, making us, the fashion lovers understand that there isn’t a cardinal Colombian aesthetic but rather distinctive elements which are personalized according to the designer’s approach to his own culture. Having as the endless source of inspiration a beautiful country with rich culture, folkloric traditions and history, Colombian designers have managed to remain fresh and always exciting, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that luxury e- commerce Net-a-Porter launched Colombia Collective. Through this particular selection, the vacation and cruise collections of various Colombian designers are brought together and presented to the global public.
Each invited designer has created unique vacation pieces inspired by their native country. From bold ruffles, tropical prints, and colorful dresses to Wayuu mochilas bags, these designs seem similar to love sonnets written for Gabriel García Márquez’s native country. For Colombia Collective, Silvia Tcherassi presents belted cocktail dresses and ruffled tops, Carolina Santo Domingo participates with totes and shoulder bags, Johanna Ortiz with feminine dresses, swimsuits, tops and flowery skirts, Muzungu Sisters has the most adorable beach bags, Lazy Poet delivers tropical pajama sets, Bibi Marini introduces amazing ring sets and necklaces, and Mallarino, Hunting Season and Esteban Cortazar are also included.
And if the Colombian Collective capsule collection has gotten your appetite going, Cooperativa Shop is also searching for warmer places and for the perfect summer attire, and as expected even here you can find a selection of exceptional pieces from various Colombian designers. Additionally, Moda Operandi promotes an impressive number of Colombian designers and sometimes it inaugurates exclusive collaborations with them. As expected, the capsule collections are created exclusively for the Moda Operandi clientele. Let’s hope that these many options and choices won’t exhaust the customer, and the Colombian style will remain a hit.