This week Medellin, recipient of Citi and Wall Street Journal’s innovative “City of the Year” award, was host to one of the region’s largest fashion and creativity festivals.
Colombiamoda, regarded as The Fashion Week of Colombia, looked to connect, inspire and create new opportunities for the industry via its 35th anniversary. This year the fair focused on the internationalization of the industry, highlighting fashion and innovation across the region.
The event registered more than 70,000 attendees from more than 40 countries, who were also ferried throughout Medellin via a ‘City Circuit’ that merged fashion, culture and creative industries.
Said Sebastián Díez, CEO of Inexmoda, “Colombiamoda evolved in its 35 years to exalt fashion and our creative talents through culture, art, and music, re-signifying the positioning of our country as the epicenter of creativity and brand creation.”
“Colombia Fashion Week will continue this path so that the city and the country increasingly take ownership of this fair, unique in its kind, as a platform for the internationalization of national fashion,” added the executive.
According to the data from the government, the fair had an economic impact of more than $13.3 million USD, as a result of specialized business tourism and increased hotel occupancy.
Six hundred brands participated in the conference, with more than 12,000 buyers involved.
Added María Fernanda Galeano Rojo, Secretary of Economic Development of Medellín, “From the District of Medellín we will continue betting on this fair, which shows that the fashion industry is one of the businesses with the greatest opportunities and challenges in the world.”
“In addition, it generates social impact, economic development and creative talents.”
This year sustainability was a big theme at the conference, with a ‘Circular Fashion Market’ providing a platform for 11 social entrepreneurs, in addition to the ‘Sustainability Route with Inter Rapidísimo’, which highlighted the importance of sustainability as a strategic pillar in the industry.
The fair’s first edition of its home category ‘Deco’ allowed 15 brands to share products and interior design ideas for a market that growing by more than by 3% a year.
Inexmoda Knowledge Pavilion – Pascual Bravo also provided a space to the public to highlight opportunities that the industry has in the years ahead through sustainability, creativity and technology.
Said Lina Ortiz Quimbay, Dean of the Faculty of Production and Design of the Pascual Bravo University Institution, “The Inexmoda – Pascual Bravo alliance marks a milestone in the democratization of the creative and cultural industries, demonstrating how they can be an engine of social transformation. By joining forces, both institutions have managed to make visible the importance of integrating science, technology, and art to respond to the needs of industry and society.”
“Through its Engineering, production, and Design schools, Pascual Bravo has demonstrated that it is possible to train professionals capable of innovating and creating a more promising future. This alliance represents a fundamental step towards the construction of more creative and sustainable cities.”
Every year Colombiamoda spotlights the city of Medellin’s transformation over more than 30 years, with the festival looking to transform Colombia’s creative forces into a globally leading fashion industry.
The city of Medellin is increasingly host to innovation and business conferences, including those from StartCo, TECH SPHERE, Ibero-American Startup Conference, and others.
