It was 5:00 in the afternoon on Monday, November 28th, and Leosmar Perozo was waiting anxiously with a group of friends for one of the conferences scheduled for the first day of the Hesperia WTC Valencia Fashion Week to begin.
By La Patilla – Rosimar Sánchez
Dec 11, 2022
She expressed feeling excited, because she was just a few minutes away from listening to and learning from leaders in the field of fashion, a topic that has fascinated her since she was a teenager.
She pointed out that at 20 years of age she had not yet had the opportunity to attend major fashion events, so she remarked the importance of carrying out this type of activity, which includes free training spaces for new talents.
“This world interested me, because at the age of 14 I was browsing on Instagram and I found an account of a girl from Valencia who focused on marketing, modeling, fashion, and I began to investigate about it because I was very interested in the content. Two years later, at my school they told us about this type of event and I was interested in knowing how the world of fashion worked, the industry, colorimetry, logos, this type of design related things. I am very interested in learning a lot more every day and I hope to be able to study,” stated Ms. Perozo.
The Valencian model Romina Palmisano, president and founder of the organization Hesperia WTC Valencia Fashion Week, was blunt: our goal is to turn the city into the “fashion capital within the country.”
She recognized that accomplishing this objective will take time, since the fashion movement in Venezuela is reviving after many years on pause, but she assured that with work and preparation they will consolidate the most international concept of a fashion week.
She explained that it is not yet possible to speak of a “fashion industry in Venezuela”, because it is a movement that is taking its first steps.
She affirmed that there is a lot of talent, but training is needed. Hence her vehemence in giving space to five days of conferences and conversations at Fashion Week, given by specialists in different areas so that all the actors involved in that world could acquire the tools and knowledge that allow them to grow.
“It is an issue that starts from the base. A lot of training is needed, I think we have to attack this from the most important point. That is why I insist on the whole subject of conferences and conversations, because beyond the media part or the show that represents seeing the designers and their creations, the important thing is that people prepare themselves, that our future designers, seamstresses, tailors are prepared through these training incentives and that is why I think this is something that is going to take time, but we are on track,” Ms. Palmisano pointed out.
Mobilize The Local Economy
The Valencian model added that in this second edition of Fashion Week, held from November 28th to December 3rd, Fashion Zones were activated in different “trendy spots” of the city, such as restaurants, entertainment and aesthetics centers, where various activities were carried out as a way to prime the local economy.
In addition, it had a Commercial Expo, made up of more than 50 stands in an area of the Hesperia WTC Valencia.
“In the international fashion weeks, in which I have had the opportunity to participate, the city dresses in fashion. It is important that we not only have this space (Hesperia WTC Valencia) as the protagonist, but the entire city, from restaurants, locations, beauty salons, hairdressers, many companies that are accompanying us as fashion points and this I can say is part of the novelty,” she said.
The first edition of the Fashion Week in Carabobo was held last April. Palmisano indicated that the bet is to adhere to the international formula and have two fashion weeks a year, with a spring-summer and autumn-winter season.
Ingenuity Reign In The Middle Of The Crisis
From 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 1st, the attendees for the first night of catwalks began to arrive.
Students, designers, models, make-up artists and stylists gathered at the Hesperia WTC Valencia Hotel, in Carabobo State.
“I am a designer and I really like the approach they are giving (to Fashion Week), betting a lot on the country and the development of fashion, especially here in Valencia. It is important to see national brands and young designers, as well as recognized designers,” said Valentina Daniel, who attended the event.
At 9:45 p.m., the lights came on on the catwalk at Hesperia WTC Valencia Fashion Week, where six brands showed their beachwear designs.
Agua Bendita, Antigua Collection, Nicole Belleza, Moana, OED and Magnolia exhibited their swimwear and casual wear creations.
The designer Daniela Peña, creator of Magnolia, indicated that her value proposition bets on slow, respectful and export-quality fashion.
In her collection, she highlighted glamour and shine, wide dresses, skirts and the colors pink, purple and yellow.
She mentioned that being a designer in Venezuela implies facing challenges that range from lack of training, fashion culture, to the difficulty in acquiring raw material for the production of the pieces.
“At the beginning, the main challenge meant not having the right tools. I started with the Magnolia brand six years ago and at that time I had not studied fashion design. That is why I also emphasize that we have to prepare and study (…) After graduating as a designer in 2020, other challenges began, because I wanted to have a product with perfect quality and I found the outrageous prices of raw material in the country, and that is where I make the decision to look outside country for new horizons and get raw materials with other quality standards. Then is where I start importing all my raw materials. I already have a product made in Venezuela, but with imported raw materials commented Peña.
On the night of Friday, December 2nd, the Cubel, Moss, Kosh, Gran Turismo and Covas brands took to the catwalk, with casual clothing and footwear designs.
Humberto Cubides, Colombian designer and creator of the Cubel brand, explained that the 28 garments in his collection have an artisanal influence, showing the ancestral part of pre-Hispanic communities and are inspired by the Quimbaya culture.
“The concept of the brand is experimental craftsmanship, it is an urban and avant-garde style. Different techniques such as embroidery and weaving were used. What I always look for is to bring the spiritual part. That is why we see earthy colors,” he commented.
A Luxurious Closing
On Saturday, December 3rd, the designs by Alejandro Fajardo, Giovanni Scutaro and Ángel Sánchez captivated the public of Valencia, who could appreciate garments full of urbanism, elegance and femininity.
Fajardo was in charge of opening the catwalk with his avant-garde pieces, in which padded garments in gold, black, silver and brown colors stood out.
The designer from Valencia mentioned that his goal is for the public to have fun seeing the designs, just as he does in his creative process.
“It was an adventure to move these padded pieces, transform them and make them haute couture (…) My recommendation to designers is that they don’t think about what they are going to show, just have fun, be themselves, don’t stop at what what others think, but to do what they feel and want,” he said.
The second to show his collection was the renowned designer Scutaro, who thrilled the attendees with a capsule of his autumn-winter 2023 collection entitled “Love, passion and olé”, inspired in Spain.
The catwalk was marked by garments in red and black tones that paraded to the rhythm of flamenco.
“Originally there were 90 pieces. Here I brought 60: 30 for men and 30 for ladies. The embroideries stand out, woven by hand, in men velvet prevailed. And we close with the typical Spanish “rociera” mass, where the bride has a dress with 800 crystals, she is dressed in the mantilla and instead of a tiara, she wears the headband of a “rociera” mass,” commented Scutaro.
In addition, he considered that the Hesperia WTC Valencia Fashion Week is giving the opportunity to new talents who want to consolidate themselves in this movement, despite the difficulties.
“It is an opportunity for the new generation in this Venezuela that said ‘I am present and I want to move forward, I am not going to depend on a State or country, I am going to depend on myself in order to say yes I can,'” Scutaro emphasized.
The consecrated designer Ángel Sánchez put an end to the catwalk nights, with his collection inspired by the different personalities of women, which includes classic, modern and daring looks. At the end, Romina Palmisano modeled a black dress, created by Sánchez.
“I had not come to Venezuela for 7 years. I was curious to know what had happened in those years of absence and I love to find a moment of optimism in this country in every way. We must maintain it to improve all creative, production, economic areas, everything. I was very happy to have been here,” said the designer based in the United States.
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