- Title: BOLIVIA: FASHION - Moda on catwalk in La Paz
- Date: 20th June 2009
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN DESIGNER LILIANA CASTELLANOS SAYING: "It's very nice, a nice challenge. We need to promote young designers and this is a nice stage for promoting them."
- Embargoed: 5th July 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Fashion
- Reuters ID: LVACA5WUJHEF2WRD5543DSZGBWPO
- Story Text: Bolivia Moda wraps up three-city tour with catwalk show in La Paz.
New York, Paris, Tokyo, La Paz? Bolivia's administrative capital is known for its dizzying altitude and stunning setting, but not for fashion.
But fashion photographer Pablo Manzoni is hoping to change that. For the past four years, Manzoni has been organizing the event Bolivia Moda, a growing showcase for local designers.
This year, Manzoni took the runway show through Santa Cruz in May before stopping in Cochabamba and finishing off with a show in La Paz.
According to Manzoni, Bolivia is slowly being recognized for its strong personality in fashion.
"It has personality, and that's basic in design and fashion. Fashion without personality is hybrid fashion. I think Bolivia has a roguish quality and we're showing that now. Little by little, people will surely start realizing we exist because we are hitting and yelling. When one yells a lot people hear them," he said.
Models walked the catwalk for two hours on Tuesday, showing new creations by the sister design team of Keny and Terry Gutierrez and fashion brands like Mister Moda.
Veteran designer Liliana Castellanos, known for using traditional Andean weaves like alpaca in fashion, said Bolivia Moda was the country's top showcase for up-and-coming designers.
"It's very nice, a nice challenge. We need to promote young designers and this is a nice stage for promoting them," Castellanos said.
One of the draws of Bolivia Moda was the runway presence of Las Magnificas, a group of models based out of Santa Cruz. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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