OPINION | Bravo to the fabulous Latino fashion creators

Editor’s note: Mari Rodríguez Ichaso has been a contributor to Vanidades magazine for several decades. She is a specialist in fashion, travel, gastronomy, art, architecture and entertainment, film producer and style columnist for CNN en Español. The opinions expressed in this column are solely his own. Read more opinion pieces at cnne.com/opinion

(CNN Spanish) – Bravo! Very brave! I love that there are so many new designers of Latin American origin who shine with indisputable success in the world of fashion! Isn’t that wonderful? It’s to applaud you all!

Recent and super successful examples are: that of the Uruguayan – based in New York – Gabriela Hearst (who designed one of the most celebrated dresses for Jill Biden, first lady of the United States, and creates clothes and accessories for Amal Clooney, Lady Gaga, Oprah , Meghan Markle and many other celebrities). And the Ecuadorian Ximena Kavalekas, based in Miami and creator of impressive reptile bags, adored by celebrities like Gigi Hadid, Sofía Vergara and Priyanka Chopra, and fashion stars like Margherita Missoni, who created with Ximena a capsule collection inspired by her popular Mandolin 2.0 bag

It is fabulous to know them (and learn their names well!) Because – by tradition of the present and the past – the talent and good taste of our creators, such as Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Isabel Toledo, Narciso Rodríguez, Ángel Sánchez, Silvia Tcherassi, Fernando Sánchez, Giorgio di Sant’Angelo, and the always wonderful teacher Cristóbal Balenciaga, have been recognized as great stars in a world as competitive as fashion.

And in fashion, many others continue to triumph, such as the young Dominican-American Fernando García, who has been successfully designing (together with Laura Kim) the brand of his mentor Oscar de la Renta for several years.

Narciso Rodríguez catwalk.

The cool Puerto Rican Edmundo Castillo, who is the designer in charge of Stuart Weitzman’s fabulous and very fashionable shoes and boots! The Colombian-Venezuelan Raúl Peñaranda, whose beautiful party dresses are a success, as for years the Brazilian Francisco Costa was the celebrated creator of Calvin Klein and is still active in many projects. They do not know the satisfaction that the success of our people gives me! And I love finding winners “in Spanish” like the Colombian Johanna Ortiz –who triumphs internationally– and the Mexicans Alejandra Quesada and Benito Santos, who are already on everyone’s lips.

Carolina Herrera

For example, when I see the beautiful and very exclusive bags of the Colombian Nancy González in the most famous stores in the world, I am filled with pride and applaud the young generations of such successful creators, such as Ximena Kavalekas and the Colombian Adriana Castro (her bags they are used by Carrie’s character in “Sex and the City”), who have followed in her pioneering footsteps. Just as the bags of the Venezuelan Yleana Yepez are already known everywhere, who exhibits in Paris and are favorites of Naty Abascal, Isabel Preysler, Alessandra de Osma, Cara Delevigne and many other celebrities.

In short: Those of us who love the beauty of fashion and the originality of design celebrate these triumphs and applaud those who bring us so much pride with their wonderful creations. Bravo again!

Edmundo Castillo