Colombia Fashion Week, or Colombiamoda, is the country’s premiere platform where established and emerging fashion creatives come together for three days and four nights of style and beauty. Held annually in Medellín, a city traditionally associated with the textile industry and now with innovation and social transformation, Colombiamoda 2017 opened its doors with Pepa Pombo’s inaugural fashion show, followed by three days showcasing Colombians’ effortless elegance and love of life.

Designer: Monica Holguín for Pepa Pombo

Collection: Paris de Asia (Asia’s Paris)

Inspiration: Oriental and Asian influences

Palette: Deep purple, gold, tropical orange, white, faded blue

Inspired by a well-traveled woman of refined tastes and artistic sensibilities, the collection Paris de Asia (Asia’s Paris) by Monica Holguín for Pepa Pombo is an homage to the woman that started it all, Pepa herself. Filled with tropical patterns imprinted onto the brand’s signature sleek knitwear, lotus flare skirts, kimonos and body-accentuating silhouettes, and marked by oriental and French influences, the collection respects the signature style of the brand while adding an element of functionality in its reversible, adaptable pieces.

Designer: Laura Acevedo for Papel de Punto

Collection: Tangente (Tangent)

Inspiration: Transformation and reinvention, symbols of transformation

Palette: Black and white, red, beige and blue, with touches of metallics in gold and silver

Designer Laura Acevedo of Papel de Punto takes us through a story of transformation via metaphors with the newest collection of her knitwear brand, Papel de Punto. Tangente is a collection inspired by figures that represent transition and rebirth, including bears, forests, day and night, roses and serpents. These metaphorical figures are printed onto unisex, relaxed-fit silhouettes made in recycled cotton fibers and microfibers.

Designer: Jorge Duque

Inspiration: The days of disco; an homage to life and the surreal sensation of dying and coming back to life

Color Scheme: Metallic gold and silver, reds, fuchsia, greens and blues

Influenced by his time spent in hospitals while working as a physiotherapist, designer Jorge Duque has always held a unique view of the body and its parts. His latest collection is a tribute to the surrealness of life, exploring notions of life and death, operating rooms, heartbeats (and the lack of such), the light at the end of the tunnel, doctors and nurses, and other recollections of hospitals. These memories come to life as seventies-style disco looks featuring micro miniskirts, evening gowns, sequined diva dresses, billowy shoulder silhouettes, bags inspired by first aid kits and anatomically-accurate heart wristlets.

Designer: Alexandra Bueno

Collection: Palma Pal Alma (Palm for the Soul)

Inspiration: A tropical oasis of mango, banana and palm trees punctuated by Colombian expressions

Palette: White and off-white, baby blue, denim, and pops of yellow and fuchsia

Alexandra Bueno makes her Colombiamoda debut on the Revista Fucsia catwalk with a splash of tropical vibes and indubitable Latin influence, incorporating phrases that playfully reference Colombian idiosyncrasy and culture. Her silhouettes evoke a forward-thinking, avant-garde young woman that imposes a personal style that is relaxed and comfortable.

Designer: Atelier Crump

Collection: Nostalgia de la luz (The Nostalgia of Light)

Inspiration: The evolution of light from day to night as experienced by flora and fauna

Color Scheme: Aquatic and mysterious blues, blacks, and jewel tone greens, that fade into pale gold sunset tones

Once again redefining the power suit for the Colombian audience, Diana Crump’s newest collection for Atelier Crump explores the evolution of the botanical world from day to night via contrasting tones and fabrics like metallic jacquard, translucent textiles, printed cotton, and seamless silks. Featuring mesmerizing prints created by illustrators Natalia Swarz and Stefania Tejada and photographer Frances Theo de Gueltz, the collection includes jackets, skirts and flowy metallic dresses to compliment its iconic suits.

Designer: Maria Elena Villamil

Collection: Mujeres en el Jardín (Women in the garden)

Inspiration: Monet and Frederick Childe Hassam’s impressionist paintings

Color Scheme: Green and blue brushstrokes interrupted by beige, dark green and grey

Closing the week on a high, Cali-based designer Maria Elena Villamil channels the poetic romanticism of impressionist painters Claude Monet and Frederick Childe Hassam in a catwalk set to the rhythm of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Stirred by an era in which flowers, gardens and light influenced the works of many a famous artist, Villamil translates subtle green strokes and romantic prints onto sheer textures like organza, Georgette and Mikado satin, juxtaposing them with architectural cuts made from experimental materials like neoprene and acetate fabric. colombiamoda.inexmoda.org.co

Photos courtesy of Inexmoda.