Forget what you heard about Bogotá. Leave what may be your outdated ideas of Narcos and capos behind and be ready to enter Colombia’s freshest, fashion-forward capital. Bogotá exudes a natural energy and verve: the city is lively, proud and cool. With steezy street style and impeccable design and tailoring traditions, it is no wonder the very fashionable city has curated a powerhouse fashion industry, where creatives and innovators blend ancient heritage with modern spirit, making it a cultural hub and the epicentre of Latin-American fashion. Each year, Colombia celebrates avant-garde fashion with BCapital and this year, for the event’s fourth edition, Schön! was right there in downtown Bogotá to witness the magic.
For three full days, the finest in Colombian design showed their prowess and diverse aesthetics. International houses Chevignon and Levi’s were also present paying tribute to their denim legacies. Chevignon showcased its ‘Denim Story’ and Levi’s made an appearance with its Levi’s x Justin Timberlake collection. Not only did the fashion event host international friends, but it also showed off local pride with Bogotans dressed to the nines and panel discussions reflecting on Colombia’s knowledge, fashion, and heritage.
Jorge Duque
First off was Jorge Duque, starting the show with the opening catwalk. The rising star of Colombian fashion set the tone with uncompromising strength in his hyper-geometric creations. Striking monochrome gave way to stunning print, with colours gradually growing louder. Structured headdresses and breastplates embellished the garments, creating a quasi-allusion to a bionic female future.
A New Cross
A New Cross followed up with bold strides on the second day, giving us raw emotion with an opening contemporary dance performance, which ushered in the brand’s handcrafted nomadic designs. Playing with light and dark, the collection was pure and stern at the same time. The gender-fluid pieces organically balanced flowing details and sophisticated architecture.
Orozco
Following on the heels of A New Cross was Jorge Orozco, who presented a punk reinterpretation of Colombia’s artisanal past. A series of hand-painted plates dramatically accessorised the collection and serpentine imagery snaked its way across the catwalk with reinterpreted-denim pieces, demonstrating tailoring at its best.
Manuela Álvarez
As part of the #AncestralMasters catwalk, Manuela Álvarez, the designer behind MAZ, was inspired by her work with indigenous people to reinterpret her Colombian identity. The result is a sublime collection that flows like poetry between ancient symbolism and modern silhouettes.
Bastardo
On the third and final day of BCapital, Bastardo drew us into his dark fantasy. Leather beetles and moths caressed the daring womenswear as the brand celebrated its past collections, reinterpreting iconic pieces with sharp construction and sheer details.
Laura Laurens
BCapital’s captivating closing show was Laura Lauren’s, who presented her TRANS collection. A rich palette of green and blue hues, floral prints, camouflage and beadwork animated the runway and paid homage to the rich tradition of the trans indigenous Emberá Chamí tribe. Each piece dominated the catwalk and had a story to tell of beauty and heritage.
A flourishing patchwork of creativity, ambition and sheer beauty, Bogotá dazzled us. BCapital exhibited Colombia’s forward-thinking fashion and gave us a taste of its new generation of designers pioneering this flourishing industry. We cannot wait for what beautiful Bogotá has in store for us next.
To find out more information about BCapital, click here.
words. Sarah Osei
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