¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today
Image: Apartamento 03, Ouro Collection pantsuit. Photos by Gustavo Marx, courtesy
of Apartamento 03Installation Images
Introductory platform featuring 20th century Latin American designers in the exhibition “¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today.”
From left to right: Designs by Esteban Cortázar, April Walker, Isaías Salgado and Carla Fernández x adidas, and Gypsy Sport, featured in the “Popular Culture” section.
From left to right: Designs by LUAR, Willy Chavarria and Opening Ceremony featured in the “Popular Culture” section.
Installation view of the “Art” section, featuring designs by Jorge Duque, Rick Owens, Francisco Costa, Rodarte, Maria Cornejo, and Isabel Toledo.
Sustainable fashion by three South American designers, left to right, Gabriela Hearst from Uruguay, Escvdo from Peru, and Nous Etudions from Argentina.
View of the “Sustainability” and “Craftsmanship” sections of the exhibition.
Share using #ModaHoyMFIT
For decades, fashion designers of Latin American descent such as Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, and Haider Ackermann have been central figures of the fashion industry. Their successes have paved the way for new generations of talented designers, including Gabriela Hearst, Willy Chavarria, and Kika Vargas. These names represent only a few of the emerging designers who are making their mark on the fashion scene by creating for famous fashion houses, winning prestigious awards, and dressing celebrity clients. The English-language media has often viewed Latin American fashion from an outsider’s perspective—as an exoticized other—presenting the region as a homogenous entity. However, there is no singular Latin American style but rather a diversity of talent that continues to shape contemporary fashion.
(L) Equihua, Devotion coat, New Classics collection, 2018, USA, museum purchase, 2022.24.1
(R) Kika Vargas, dress, 2022, Colombia, gift of Kika Vargas, 2022.83.1
Carolina Herrera, evening dress, fall 1988, USA, gift of Carolina Herrera, Ltd, 2005.48.8
Oscar de la Renta, cocktail ensemble, c.1974, USA, gift of Isabelle Leeds, 2005.71.3
¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today included creators from Latin American countries, as well as designers of Latin American heritage living and working in the United States who are often referred to as Hispanic, Latino/Latina, or the gender-neutral term Latinx. This exhibition took a decentering approach to fashion studies, shifting perspectives away from a single cultural viewpoint. The region, with its shared histories of colonialism, globalism, imperialism, industrialization processes, and local modes of modernity, has historically been dismissed by dominant Eurocentric fashion voices as underdeveloped. However, Latin American fashion is a powerhouse. During the 20th century, a number of Latin American and Latinx designers gained global recognition while the region served as an inspiration for designers from Europe and North America, functioning as a background in fashion publications and becoming a source of talent. In this exhibition, the work of Adolfo, Víctor Alfaro, Maria Cornejo, Oscar de la Renta, Luis Estévez, Carlos Falchi, Carolina Herrera, and Isabel Toledo exemplified this era.
¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today was organized by The Museum at FIT’s Tanya Melendez-Escalante, senior curator of education and public programs, and Melissa Marra-Alvarez, curator of education and research.
You can read more about the exhibition via the press release (PDF).
Explore more collection objects on view through our online collections.
Exhibition Publication
Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today ¡Moda Hoy!
Edited by Tanya Meléndez-Escalante and Melissa Marra-Alvarez
Through a series of themes and topics such as Indigenous heritage, art, sustainable design, politics, gender, elegance, and popular culture, curators and Latin American fashion authorities highlight established designers with a strong international presence, such as Isabel Toledo, Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta, alongside emerging talents.
*Please note that the publication is entirely in English.
Press, Related Events & Additional Content
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In the Press
CFDA, El Pais, ELLE, Hola, L'Officiel (Ar), Remezcla, Universo Mola
Read Press Release (PDF) | View Press Images on Flickr
Publication Press:
AnnaFusion, Vogue Mexico and Latin America
¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Symposium
Blancopop: Styling Celebrities
Fashion Film Festival Milano
Three scholars address issues of race and ethnicity in Latin America and the United States from different perspectives.
¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today was made possible with the support of the Couture Council of The Museum at FIT and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
