Miami Fashion Week Helps Latin American Fashion Brands In Bridging The Gap

While eurocentric beauty has been the standard for far too long, Miami Fashion Week (MIAFW) is making a name for itself with its own style. The key focus here is relevance, with the goal of boosting and expanding the Latin American fashion market.

After a two-year break, the 22nd edition of Miami Fashion Week began on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, and ended on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Beyond the runway, the week-long event has expanded into a mix of fashion, beauty, music, art, charity, newest trends, gastronomy, luxury, and lifestyle, bridging the gap between Latin America and the United States.

Making its imprint on the fashion scene isn't all that MIAFW has in store; it's the first global fashion week to connect the physical-first fashion industry with digital-first web3 designers and brands.

This year's show featured special guest brand, Italian luxury lifestyle brand Missoni, as well as esteemed designers Naeem Khan, Benito Santos, Angel Sanchez, Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, and René by RR, who debuted their latest resort collections throughout the week, bringing together various aesthetics and cultural backgrounds on a global stage.

When it pertains to diversity, MIAFW is unlike any other fashion week in the globe, yet it has its own distinct taste, particularly when it comes to resort wear and the Latin American community. According to Lourdes Fernandez-Velasco, creative director for MIAFW, Miami's point of difference is that it serves as the doorway to the Americas.

“Since I took over the position as creative director for Miami Fashion Week in 2016, Latin American fashion has expanded tremendously. There's a huge Latin X movement going on in Latin America that has exploded in popularity. We have major fashion designers from Latin America who are creating waves around the world. It's been extremely intriguing for us. At first, it was a little difficult, but now it's the complete opposite,” expresses Fernandez-Velasco.

DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS:

_{Press Conference at the East Hotel Miami}

On Tuesday, May 31, Fernandez-Velasco, spoke at a press conference about MIAFW's ambitions to enter the Metaverse with the introduction of "L'ATELIER BY MIAFW." "L'ATELIER BY MIAFW," a groundbreaking digital retail and educational concept, will bring fashion aficionados from all over the world together in the metaverse to learn about sustainability, find the latest fashion trends, and create a creative community to promote the industry.

Designer Barbara Hulanicki, Fine Art Collector Gary Nader, Megan Kaspar of the MIAFW Digital Fashion Council, and Miami politicians Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava of Miami-Dade County and Mayor Francis Suarez of Miami, among others, were in attendance.

DAY TWO HIGHLIGHTS:

_{Missoni Show at Vizcaya Gardens & Museum}

Missoni brought the brand's trademark style to Miami with a variety of contemporary and vibrant styles from its Women's Summer 2022 ready-to-wear and swimwear collections. Multicolor nets generated intriguing colors, while T-shirts were layered on swimsuits effortlessly, highlighting the sinuosity and harmony of the female figure. Marc Anthony and RHOM Guerdy Abraira sat front row, while famous model Nadia Ferreira wowed the crowd on the runway.

DAY THREE HIGHLIGHTS:

_{Benito Santos Show at Gary Nader Art Center}

Santos' distinct aesthetic wowed guests as the models went through the gallery in his dazzling creations. His designs highlighted why he is regarded as one of Mexico's most desirable designers and a favorite of South American celebrities.

_{Angel Sanchez Show at Gary Nader Art Center}

The architect and designer, who was born and raised in Venezuela, is regarded as one of the world's most exceptional designers and a celebrity favorite. His style at MIAFW highlighted his well-known love of highly structured, contemporary, and feminine architectural forms.

International art collector Gary Nader is particularly interested in Latin American art. The lebanese-born, Dominican-raised art collector is regarded as one of the most successful gallery owners in the United States and Latin America, and is known for possessing the world's largest Fernando Botero collection. During MIAFW, he discussed the significance of combining fashion with art.

“The majority of the world's major museums are presenting retrospectives of extremely successful fashion icons today, and we're doing the same thing, by putting together a platform to bring together the most influential designers from Latin America to the forefront. Furthermore, as they did with Oscar De La Renta, Giorgio Armani, and Alexander McQueen, we will present their retrospective work in the future. These shows are currently breaking new ground. Many artists have criticized me, claiming that what I'm doing isn't art. But to me it is, and to a large number of others it is as well. I make no apologies for the way we do art at the Gary Nader Center,” states Nader.

DAY FOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

René by RR Show at Gary Nadar Center

René by RR, which debuted during Miami Fashion Week in 2018, fills a niche in the luxury market with a collection that not only shows his ability and high standards of quality, but also a city and culture that is gaining traction as the future global fashion capital. Guests had the pleasure of witnessing and participating in René's brand progression, which ended with a standing ovation.

Ágatha Ruiz de La Prada Show at Gary Nadar Art Center

Her bold and colorful patterns have earned her one of the most well-known designers both in the United States and abroad. Guests enjoyed dancing and singing along to her magnificent presentation, marveling as each of her beautifully made pieces strutted down the runway accompanied by the most incredible works of art.

DAY FIVE HIGHLIGHTS:

_{Virtual Decentraland Fashion Show}

In Decentraland, MIAFW staged a virtual fashion show featuring digital clothing from a collaboration between DRESSX and MTA Kollectiff. Guests were able to explore the virtual building and learn about the world of AR fashion, which was hosted within 'L'ATELIER by MIAFW.

L'Atelier by MIAFW is the first NFT gated members-club dedicated to the fashion industry, giving designers, models, stylists, photographers, and fashionistas access to a venue where they can create, innovate, and form a community that prioritizes sustainability.

DAY SIX HIGHLIGHTS:

_{Closing Brunch & Panel at Seaspice Restaurant}

Fernandez-Velasco, led a panel discussion at Seaspice on the future of digital fashion and sustainability to round out the week.

_{Naeem Khan Show at Frost Science Museum}

Guests gathered at the Frost Science Museum for a two-level runway display featuring Naeem Khan's beautiful evening wear designs. Khan's designs were brought to life beneath the glow of the renowned Frost Science Museum, ending Miami Fashion Week with a standing ovation.

Fernandez-Velasco adds that applications for next year's MIAFW are currently open. “There are so many outstanding brands in Latin America that we look forward to developing even more amazing programs. In 2016 when i onboarded, we had to rely more on european brands since Latin America wasn't there yet, but in recent years, that has changed and many of those brands are sustainable.” Fernandez-Velasco continues, “Fashion in Latin America is all about sustainability. Because sustainability has been one of our core foundations since our inception, being able to collaborate with these brands that are attempting to incorporate it in one way or another allows us to be more authentic to what we are attempting to do.”