You need to know about this Latin American fashion brand that uses eco-friendly fabrics

Celebrating its tenth birthday this year, MQ Vienna Fashion Week 2018, closed on September 16, with the collection of Guatemalan designer, Juan Carlos Gordillo. This was the fourth time that Gordillo represented Latin America in Vienna. In past years, his womenswear collection received positive reviews, increasing the popularity of the newcomer and bringing the Latin American aesthetic in the spotlight.

The invention of TENCEL Denim

Thanks to his talent and preference towards eco- friendly fabrics, the Guatemalan designer has caught the attention of Lenzing Group who decided to partner with him and create a collection that is eclectic, wearable and environmentally conscious. The newly released collection features designs in TENCEL Denim which is an environmentally friendly, soft fabric that is made from cellulosic fibers of botanic origin.

According to Juan Carlos Gordillo, “out of the 30 outfits in the collection, 15 are made with recycled fabrics and 15 also contain TENCEL Denim’’. The Guatemalan designer insists that TENCEL Denim is the right choice for his designs “because it proves that eco-fashion doesn’t need to compromise on its look and style”.

Bringing eco- friendly practices to Vienna (Austria) is a brilliant marketing move to sustainable fashion and eco- friendly practices are top priorities for the European nation. In the past decade, the country has worked hard to re-brand itself as “Green Austria” by embracing the conservative way of life. In Austria, environmental awareness goes beyond food and tourism, touching even fashion by pioneering sustainable fashion. Flagship stores like ZERUM and boutiques like ebenBERG showcase designs and collections which are entirely sustainable.

You can also read: Venice Film Festival: 7 red carpet looks that we loved 

The crowdfunding model

But Mr. Gordillo’s success has more to do with talent and genius than marketing strategies. His aesthetic is strongly influenced by his native continent, and this pursuit of personal instincts rather than fashion trends is a rare quality in the fashion world. It is this authenticity that has come to define the Juan Carlos Gordillo brand and his originality and unconventional approach to business are seen even in the financing solutions he selected in the past. After self- financing his shows for two consecutive years, in 2017, Mr. Gordillo decided to give crowdfunding a try. As a pioneer in crowdfunding fashion, he forged a path for upcoming Latin American talents who are seeking an entry in the highly selective European market.

Crowdfunding in the fashion world has become a powerful tool because it empowers both the customer and designer. Setting extremely high entry barriers for the fashion world, has created a highly selective industry where newcomers are too often pushed to the margins. According to Before the Label, "designing and producing one collection can cost designers upwards of $50,000". Especially emerging talents hailed from less developed markets encounter difficulties with financing their projects, thus finding an innovative solution to the modern- day retail model becomes their number one priority. Therefore, Juan Carlos Gordillo's fresh approach to old problems is a welcomed change as it creates a path for Latin American talents who want to access global fashion markets like Europe, the US or Asia.

LatinAmerican Post | Adina Achim

Copy edited by Laura Viviana Guevara Muñoz