Fashion week kicked off on Friday and a number of designers showcased their clothing, all hailing from Mexico as they hope to showcase what they’ve been working on during and after the pandemic.
A total of 13 designers were in attendance at Laredo Fashion Week, which included everything from young siblings, to young and older men and women, and even some people who worked for their parents.
Three of the designers who stood out the most were a designer specializing in menswear, a young sibling duo who recently started their own company, and a young woman trying to make sure people understand the beauty of a woman to be exposed with the most minimal designs. .
Menswear
Gabriel Honorato is the owner and designer of HonoratoMX based in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Originally from Colima, Honorato moved to Guadalajara to study the marketing aspect of the industry when he actually began to develop his own styles and create his own collections.
“My collection is very categorized for who I am, as you’ll see a number of T-shirts and other designs that are mostly monotype as a lot of my looks are just one color,” Honorato said. “I like to have a person in solid red or solid black or solid yellow to show a solid color and solid texture as well and just a solid color.
“Personally, what motivates me to do the designs I do is to go see my materials and then start working with what I have. More than just the references that I get as a designer, I like to just see random materials and pieces of clothing and then visualize what I can do with them, and I just like to create something out of what I think doesn’t exist yet and bring it to life in 3-D so others can enjoy it.”
As he began to show his clothes, Honorato was then called by a university in Guadalajara to teach fashion design classes, while he has once again taken up his love of the industry and developed new clothing lines for men.
He said that although the pandemic affected his business, he continued to work with personal models and make clothes for individuals. This ultimately helped him ensure that his business thrived during such a difficult time.
“My main focus is always menswear and making sure that every piece I can make is appropriate for any occasion or event and that they fit any type of model,” said Honorato. “The clothes are good for any special event or for any trip, and I also make custom clothes for men. I just want them to stand out.”
The pair of brothers
Some of the youngest fashion designers were a 22-year-old sister and a 25-year-old brother, as the siblings only started entering the world of fashion design about a year ago.
“All the garments we will be exhibiting are 100% linen and they all come in a variety of colors and I believe they bring a lot of life to the work we do,” said Maribel Galvez, co-owner of Mayorca. Mexico.
Galvez said her creative ideas are developed from things she randomly thinks about on a daily basis.
“In a creative sense, what motivates me are just spontaneous ideas,” said Maribel. “If there’s something I like or start thinking about, I become obsessed with it until I bring it to life.”
Maribel’s brother, who is her partner, also became interested in the brand after seeing that it had a lot of potential with its designs.
“Our company first started after I saw that my sister was designing, and I got involved and started helping her with the business side of the brand,” said David Galvez, the other co-owner of Mayorca México. “So we decided to make … the brand a reality about a year ago, and hopefully it’s the first year for many people.
“We hope to continue to have these creative ideas to make the brand grow.”
Although it’s common for siblings to fight, Maribel said it’s always a “challenge” to work together, but she thinks it works because they complement each other.
“All we have to do to make things work is to know which part is his job and which part is mine, and ultimately having each other’s back is a huge help,” Maribel said. “In terms of the creative aspects, sometimes you’re afraid of what you’re doing, but having someone who supports you 100% by your side – whether it’s a brother or just someone on a team – is like that. important, as the knowledge the other person has is something you can use to advance your business and ideas.”
The display of a woman’s beauty
Monica Armas — owner of her namesake company based in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico — said she began studying industrial design when she suddenly became interested in the fashion industry later in life.
Armas is someone who likes to dress well and thinks that no woman can look ugly if she dresses well. In fact, she said all her designs are made under this philosophy.
“I’m super minimalist when it comes to my styles, because I think women don’t need to put in too much effort to show off their beauty,” Armas said. “That’s why I’m dedicated to showing how they can look good with more minimalist styles.”
Armas said that all her collections are dedicated to the full use of Mexican products and Mexican textiles, as she believes that the cotton and linen that come from Mexico are some of the best in the world. She also said she loves how people outside of Mexico can also see how beautiful clothing can be created just using 100% Mexican products.
Unlike most Mexican designers, she said she doesn’t focus on the patriotic or historical side when using Mexican products, but instead focuses on using Mexico’s architecture, color and geography as inspiration.
The main detail in her clothing designs was a scorpion encapsulated in the straps of all her dresses, which she said shows the tradition etched into the dress, while also showing modernity and simplicity with the new looks.
“A woman doesn’t need much effort to show her beauty, like a simple great cut, texture in clothes and a good face with confidence, not for beauty, then the woman can fully show who they are ,” she said. “That alone makes every woman special.”
What the designers hoped to achieve in Laredo
All the fashion designers said they hope the event will allow them to showcase their pieces, and many brought their work back into view after the pandemic greatly affected what they had to offer.
“This event really helped me show what I had done and bring it back to light,” Honorato said.
David Galvez said his main goal of being part of the fashion show was to “allow the brand to be recognized and to position themselves in the industry, as well as to network with other fashion designers and brands that they hope to one day can happen. cooperate with them.” He said that he does not see the conglomerate of so many designers as a competition, but rather as a place to complement and work with each other, and hopes that young designers will all come together to collaborate.
Armas just wanted to show what Mexico is with her designs.
“I know there are a lot of Mexicans here in Laredo or Mexican-Americans, and I want to show them that as Mexicans living in Mexico we can transmit through clothing what Mexico is and what lives in the country through these designs.” Armas said.
Fashion show
Kickoff for Laredo Fashion Week was held on Friday, August 19th before its designer fashion show which was held on August 20th. The models that participated in the show were from Avanti Modeling School and Agency, while 13 international designers presented their work and also showed their models. 13 designers are in town to present their latest collection on the runway.
There were three separate shows for Saturday’s fashion show: Kids Designers; Fashion shows of ready-to-wear and haute couture designers. Each show hosted specific stylists per category and was divided by time ranges.
Honorato’s work can be followed on Instagram via @HonoratoMx and on Pinterest via @Honorato and contacted by email at honoratomx@gmail.com. Galvez’s Mayorca México brand can be found via Instagram at @Mayorca.Mx and Armas can be followed on Instagram at @moarmas.
