Translated from Spanish.

Last week concluded the second edition of the Latin American Fashion Summit (LAFS) in Cartagena, Colombia, which saw more than 650 guests who traveled from different parts of Latin America, the United States and Europe.

Created by entrepreneurs Samantha Tams, from Mexico and Estefanía Lacayo, a New York-based Nicaraguan, LAFS was born from the idea of ​​creating a space to empower the Latin American fashion industry through reflection and discussion of issues related to the world of fashion.

This year, the annual conference featured speaker panels, specialized workshops and the second edition of the “Pitch to LAFS” contest to reward Latin American talent. This year’s winner was Colombian designer, Maygel Coronel, with her namesake brand. For the first time, LAFS also presented the "LAFS Showroom", where buyers, publishers, stylists and influencers were able to discover forty of the best Latin American designers in a curated space.

The event received a renowned group of panelists, mentors and judges, including designers Carolina Herrera, Johanna Ortiz, Silvia Tcherassi, Esteban Cortázar, Francisco Costa, Clare Vivier, Ana Khouri, and businesswomen Carmen Busquets, Holli Rogers of Farfetch / Browns and Daniel Funis of Farfetch Latin America, Natalie Kingham of Matches Fashion, Daniella Valeriano of Facebook Latin America, Brian Bolke of The Conservatory and representatives of Nordstrom and The Webster stores. We had the opportunity to speak with none other than Paris-based design legend Esteban Cortázar, to ask him about his past, his creative process, Latin America’s boom, and how he would like to be remembered in the fashion world. latamfashionsummit.com

Tell me about your process upon starting working on a collection. Where do you look for inspiration?

I am inspired by my personal experiences, more than anything I look to my inner self to find that inspiration. In my travels, in my conversations, in what I see, in what I read, in what I hear, in the moments that I have with my family, with my friends, I am always inspired by these things before starting to produce a collection.

How did you develop your love for fashion?

I am the product of two artists, so I grew up in a very bohemian environment. I always loved creativity, art, and artistic expression. I started to become interested in fashion when I moved to Miami in the 90s to live with my father, because it was a time when Miami’s fashion industry was booming—thanks to Gianni Versace, all the big supermodels, photographers, etc.

In your opinion, what do you owe your success to?

That sounds like a question for someone else, because it is a bit difficult to answer something like that about yourself. If I had to answer, I’d say it was because of my hard work, passion, authenticity, my story, and how I have worked hard for what I want, and have managed to stay humble at the same time—in my work, in how I treat my team, etc. I believe that is my success.

What do you think it is about Colombian and Latin American fashion that has it booming right now?

With regards to Colombia, we are a country that in many ways is a post-war country, because we lived through a very violent and dark past for many years, and I think that now the new generations are coming alive with creativity, color, and crafts, showing everything we can do as Colombians. People want to see this rebirth up close. And I think it's the same for the rest of Latin America— I think we are living through a time when people want to feel more rooted, closer to the earth, and connected to where they come from, and I think this is present in all of Latin America.

Who is your favorite Latin American designer?

I admire Johanna Ortiz very much because she is a personal friend of mine and I really love what she has achieved, because it is not easy to do what she has done, and what she has managed to achieve is remarkable. Obviously, here at LAFS we have Carolina Herrera who is the queen, and the one who made all this possible for many of us, so for me, she is also of great importance.

What advice would you give to a young or emerging designer who wants to stand out in this industry?

I would tell them to look deep inside themselves, to search for their own story, to not be afraid of being authentic, of being themselves, and through that authenticity, try to tell the story they want to tell, not to copy others, and not to follow any rules. Today there are no rules and we have the tools to do things our own way.

Why do you think an event like LAFS was lacking in Latin America?

Because we talk a lot about building community, but this event puts it into practice. Here we are learning a lot, getting to know each other, discovering new talent, listening to people who are well seasoned in the fashion industry, as well as people who have a younger, more contemporary perspective. I believe that this is what the event has managed to achieve, plus it’s creating a community among us Latinos, for fashion, which is very cool.

Tell us about the future of your brand, what’s next for Esteban Cortázar?

I have several collaborations: I am doing a great collaboration right now in Colombia for next year, with Éxito, and we are going to do something very special, which I will reveal more about soon. I also have another very cool collaboration in Paris coming up which I will talk more about when it’s ready.

How do you want to be remembered in the fashion world?

I think that right now, what I am trying to do more than anything else, is to create a platform that can go beyond both fashion and aesthetics, which in the end are not the most important things in life. Right now, we are living through a very difficult time in the world, with many changes, and with few ways to imagine the future, because it’s difficult imagine what’s next. So, I want to be able to create a platform that inspires young men and women to believe in themselves—beyond whether they want to be designers or not. I hope the platform and my story can be a source of inspiration for them, and help them to believe in themselves more.