Back in Vogue: Crisis-hit Venezuela Vamps Up Fashion Industry
Designers at a Venezuelan fashion week attempted to revive an industry that had fallen on hard times due to years of economic unrest with a variety of vibrant evening gowns and urban futuristic metallic ensembles. CARACAS, DEC 7
Prior to the industry event’s revival earlier this year, Venezuela, known for a love of style and pomp frequently seen in its numerous beauty pageants, had not hosted a fashion week in nearly two decades.
The second iteration of that event came to a close this past weekend in Valencia, a city in the industrial north of Spain, with top designers like Angel Sanchez, who has dressed celebrities like Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, and Beyonce, strutting their wares down the catwalk.
The 62-year-old Sanchez, who has participated in New York Fashion Week and Madrid Fashion Week, held a show in his native Venezuela for the first time in ten years.
He told AFP it was “the perfect opportunity to reconnect with my country, with my work, and with colleagues.”
“I think Venezuela has consistently been a fashion powerhouse. I am glad to see that fashion weeks have returned because I remember having them when I first started out, 35 years ago.”
Romina Palmisano, a Venezuelan model who recently returned to the nation to try to revive the country’s stagnant fashion industry, came up with the idea to revive the local event where designers present their most recent collections.
“At an economic level, Venezuela is a country facing an uphill battle in every way, from manufacturing to purchasing supplies,” said Despite acknowledging the economy’s challenges, Palmisano is optimistic about the future of the fashion industry.
The devastated economy has shown signs of recovery after years of hyperinflation and a currency in free fall that plunged Venezuelans into misery and forced more than six million to flee the country.
A greater variety of goods are now available, and new stores are opening that sell clothing, shoes, and other items as a result of the de facto dollarization of the economy and the relaxation of price controls.
Sanchez said that holding a fashion week was crucial to “give space for the fashion world to recover at a professional level.”
Each of his timeless, elegant evening dresses from the fashion week was named after a famous client.
The Italian-Venezuelan designer Giovanni Scutaro created an “ode to Spain” with his most recent collection’s flamenco vibes, which he carried off via black and red colors, pleats, jackets, and hats.
Scutaro said Venezuela is a “noble country with capable people. This is not a nation that despises fashion; people here enjoy it. It is a nation that puts a great deal of effort into looking good.”
Cubel, with its avant-garde urbanism, and Agua Bendita, with a collection of vibrantly colored swimsuits, were two Colombian brands that walked the catwalks.
Adding a touch of feminism to the show, Venezuelan brand Kosh worked the phrase “God is a woman” into its designs. ― ETX Studio
Reference: https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2022/12/07/back-in-vogue-crisis-hit-venezuela-vamps-up-fashion-industry/43965
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