Latin American Fashion on the Global Stage: From Local to Milan’s Runways
Latin American fashion is making waves on the global stage, with the Latin American Fashion Awards expanding its reach to Milan Fashion Week. Co-founders Silvia Argüello and Constanza Cavalli Etro have created a groundbreaking platform highlighting the region’s incredible talent, from local recognition to global celebration.
The Birth of a Global Platform for Latin American Fashion
As reported by ELLE, a simple conversation between two friends has become a movement celebrating Latin America’s rich cultural heritage and innovative talent. As Argüello and Cavalli Etro prepare to showcase their winners in Milan, the duo is rewriting the narrative of Latin American fashion on the world stage.
In 2018, Silvia Argüello, fresh off a flight from the Dominican Republic, sat down with her friend and fellow fashion industry veteran Constanza Cavalli Etro in Milan. Argüello, who had recently moved to the Caribbean with her husband, was at a crossroads in her career. Having designed for iconic fashion houses like Emanuel Ungaro during Giambattista Valli’s tenure, Argüello knew she wanted to use her experience to make a difference, but she wasn’t sure how. The idea for the Latin American Fashion Awards was born during this conversation.
Argüello recalls in an ELLE interview that Cavalli Etro posed a simple but powerful question: “What’s next?” Argüello responded uncertainly, but their brainstorming session soon led to a breakthrough. Cavalli Etro pointed out that while there were prestigious awards for fashion in regions like the UK and the U.S., Latin America had no platform to recognize and celebrate its designers, models, and creatives. “There’s no awards ceremony for Latin Americans in fashion—maybe we should have the first Latin American fashion awards,” Cavalli Etro suggested. And with that, the vision was set into motion.
The next five years would see Argüello and Cavalli Etro working tirelessly to make their dream a reality, even as the COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdowns delayed their plans. Their perseverance paid off when the inaugural Latin American Fashion Awards took place in November 2023 in the Dominican Republic. The event brought together designers, models, photographers, and artists from across the region, competing in 14 categories, including Designer of the Year, Emerging Designer of the Year, and Fashion Icon of the Year.
As Cavalli Etro told ELLE, “The [British] Fashion Awards are great, the CFDA Fashion Awards are great, but we need something for our region that puts all our countries together in one force. This is the project of our lifetime.”
A Celebration of Latin American Talent and Culture
The Latin American Fashion Awards didn’t just celebrate fashion; they showcased a region’s diversity, culture, and creativity often overlooked on the global stage. Raul Lopez, founder and creative director of Luar, won Brand of the Year, a recognition that resonated deeply with him. In his acceptance speech, Lopez shared the emotional experience of standing on that stage, saying, “I lost the words, and when I got up there, I saw everyone, looked into the crowd, and was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe this is happening.’”
For Lopez, the award was about more than just personal recognition—it was about representing his heritage and community. “For me, it was about being Latino, being from the Dominican Republic, and being with all these Latinos from around the world, which had never happened. I think it’s bigger than us—we’re vessels at this moment, and we’re being used to illuminate the past and the future,” Lopez told ELLE.
The Latin American Fashion Awards were more than a one-night event. Argüello and Cavalli Etro had always envisioned it as a biennial project, with one year dedicated to celebration and the next to business development. Argüello explained to ELLE, “If we were going to do it every year, then by the time you have your winners, you’re already working on the next rotation. We wanted that development year so we could impact our designers’ careers.”
This approach gives winners the time and support they need to grow their brands and expand their reach, providing them invaluable industry connections and opportunities beyond the awards ceremony.
Taking Latin American Fashion to Milan
In 2024, instead of hosting another awards ceremony, Argüello and Cavalli Etro decided to bring their vision full circle by taking their winners to Milan Fashion Week. During this prestigious event, the 2023 award winners will be featured at Fashion Hub Milano, an exhibit hosted by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. This will allow the designers to showcase their collections to international buyers, the press, and industry leaders.
For many winners, Milan Fashion Week represents an opportunity to break into the European market. Raul Lopez, for example, is eager to expand Luar’s presence on the global stage. “I’m trying to be global,” Lopez told ELLE. “I love being from New York, and I love America, but I have such a huge following in Europe, and I never really have time other than just [for] Paris to do a couple of days of sales and press. This is another introduction to a different scene—and I’m ready for it.”
The Milan showcase is a celebration of fashion and a strategic move to elevate Latin American fashion to new heights. As Argüello and Cavalli Etro continue to advocate for the region’s talent, they are creating a platform for Latin American designers to reach new markets and audiences. “This is about giving our winners the tools and visibility they need to succeed globally,” Argüello told ELLE. “We want to see our designers grow, and we want to see them succeed—not just in Latin America, but around the world.”
The Milan Fashion Week exhibit is just the beginning. In partnership with ELLE, Argüello and Cavalli Etro also host a cocktail party to celebrate Latin American creatives and further cement the region’s presence in the global fashion industry.
The Future of Latin American Fashion
Looking ahead, the founders of the Latin American Fashion Awards are committed to empowering regional designers and creatives. Their long-term vision includes expanding the awards to include even more categories and countries while deepening the support they offer to winners in the business development phase.
“We’re just getting started,” Cavalli Etro told ELLE. “There’s so much talent in Latin America, and our goal is to keep pushing the boundaries and showcasing what our region offers.”
As Latin American fashion gains more visibility on the global stage, designers from the region are poised to become key players in the industry. From Milan to New York, Paris to Tokyo, the Latin American Fashion Awards prove that fashion from the region is not just relevant—it’s revolutionary.
By creating a platform that highlights the diversity and creativity of Latin American fashion, Argüello and Cavalli Etro are opening doors for future generations of designers. Their work not only reshaped the industry but also rewrote the narrative of what Latin American fashion could be.
Also read: Brazil’s New Oscar Contenders: A Rich History of Latin American Cinema
The excitement is palpable as the 2023 winners prepare to take the stage in Milan. The Latin American Fashion Awards have already made history, but the best is yet to come. For the designers, models, and creatives involved, this moment represents more than just personal achievement—it’s a chance to show the world what Latin America can do.
