- Title: COLOMBIA-FASHION Colombiamoda fashion expo kicks off in Medellin
- Date: 29th July 2015
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LULI FAMA DESIGNER, AUGUSTO HANIMIAN, SAYING: "There is a lot of ethnic inspiration from the Middle East, from the Navajo Indians (the largest Native American Tribe federally recognized in the United States), all mixed with a burst of colour from the Caribbean. It's a mix of everything, there a lot of influence from crafts, of macrame, crochet which a
- Embargoed: 13th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Colombia
- Country: Colombia
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA2SLUGRO8DFO1Y0R5JVH6KO0CF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Medellin's fashion week Colombiamoda 2015 kicked off on Tuesday (July 28) with an explosion of colour lighting up the runway.
A century ago, Medellin became a textile and fabric powerhouse but these days it is one of Latin America's fashion centres.
The show, will feature 670 brands as well as 11,000 national and international buyers from 36 countries.
They will take part in trade shows, catwalks and exchange of knowledge.
Luli Fama designer, Augusto Hanimian, said his swimwear designs were an ethnic mix.
"There is a lot of ethnic inspiration from the Middle East, from the Navajo Indians (the largest Native American Tribe federally recognized in the United States), all mixed with a burst of colour from the Caribbean. It's a mix of everything, there a lot of influence from crafts, of macrame, crochet which are entirely manual which we are creating here in Colombia too," said Hanimian.
Fourteen students from the fashion design programme at the University of the Andean Area presented their creations for a ninth consecutive year.
During the event, the young designers from the Pereira section, showcased their talent by presenting their male and female collections during a catwalk titled Creative Expansion.
An African American lingerie collection that opened up the show featured stunning gowns inspired by butterflies, which caught the attention of the public.
"I retook physical characteristics and industrial materials which is what I used the most for my collection. It's a collection of wedding dresses. It is totally conceptual and basically I wanted to pick the colours, shapes, textures and everything that inspires this process of metamorphosis," said a designer from the University of the Andean area, Melissa Ordonez.
Meanwhile, lingerie-clad Colombian models sizzled on the catwalk wearing creations in black, red, intense colours and lace in Leonisa's new collection.
Thirty models, strutted down the catwalk during the show, hoping to instil feelings of attraction, sensuality and magic among the public.
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, who inaugurated the show, said he hoped the textile industry would aim to export more than one billion dollars in textiles and clothing in the next three years, implying a growth of approximately 17 percent from last year.
The event's organizers hope to generate approximately $306 million in sales at Colombiamoda, which ends on Thursday (July 30). - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None