A CLOSER LOOK AT MY FAVORITE MOMENTS FROM BOGOTÁ FASHION WEEK 2024

BFW took place in the Ágora conference center in the Colombian capital. Picture: Darvin Salamanca/ColombiaOne.

I was lucky enough to attend days 1 and 3 of Bogotá Fashion Week 2024. I saw some of the new fashion design ideas in the Colombian capital, and also two of the live runway shows: Andrea Landa on the evening of day 1, and Colectivo Urbano on day 3 which included Joeg, Merci Palais D’or and General.

BFW's Multibrand Shop. Picture: Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá.

During BFW I went to the Multistore Shop which exhibited some of the brands as seen on the runway. I especially liked Tejidos Rebancá and Kottrisk. The first brand is an iniciative to valorize the textile traditions of Colombian countryside, specifically from the department of Boyacá, through a contemporary interpretation of the classic ruana (thick wool poncho typically worn in this region), highlighting the craftsmanship of wool artisans from Boyacá.

Tejidos Rebancá's runway show on BFW 2024. Picture: Óscar Garcés/Cámara Lúcida.

Kottrisk is a brand from Bogotá with a strong influence of contemporary streetwear, made with a modern customer in mind, who wants to be up to date with the latest trends in a socially responsible, environmentally sustainable way. One of the keiy points of Kottrisk to give dignified income options to vulnerable individuals, such as mothers who are sole breadwinners for their families. These women are the biggest part of Kottrisk’s workforce and the team behind the making of their pieces.

Kottrisk's urban style. Picture: Kottrisk's official website.

Andrea Landa’s runway show on the first night of BFW showcased Sahara, her latest collection, inspired by the dunes and earthy hues of the biggest desert of the world. By using her now trademark techniques in different types of leather, the brand created a futuristic universe through loosened silhouettes, handmade nets and multiple microcuts that recall the colors and textures of sand during sunset. An excellent, innovative collection that is on the same level of global independent fashion brands and markets.

Sahara, Andrea Landa's latest collection on BFW 2024. Picture: Sho Fotos for Marie Claire Colombia.

During day 3 I visited the wholesale section before entering the Colectivo Urbano (“Urban Collective”) runway show. The stands in this area, where different independent brands from all over the country showed their latest collections for wholesale buyers, were rather small, and I believe that for an event in this scale it would be more appropriate to offer wider spaces where items can be shown. In this aspect, the Multibrand Shop space seemed to be a better fit for the needs of the brands participating in BFW.

Afterwards, during the runway show of Colectivo Urbano, I was able to see the latest collections of Joeg, Merci Palais D’or and General upclose. Joeg has a strong influence of downtown Bogotá’s subcultural scene, which is known for a consistent use of all hues of black, leather and street inspired aesthetics including all rock subgenres. Particularly, the last look of this runway (aptly named Metrópolis) was an all-white outfit made in leather that had undergone different techniques and procedures to give it a worn-out appearance, stood out to me as the best of the entire collection and a great example of the urban aesthetics that Bogotá is famous for, reinterpreted for contemporary sensibilities.

Metrópolis, Joeg's collection on BFW 2024. Picture: Esteban Buitrago for Informa Models.

The next brand that participated in this runway show was Merci Palais D’or with their new collection called Pangea. With strong graphics portraying landscapes from different parts of the world in vivid colors, as well as a brand universe with an undeniable influence from streetwear giants Supreme and Offwhite, the brand introduced a collection with an excellent viability in any of the global fashion capital, without losing their Latin American touch. Hip hop and skateboarding inspired looks from a Bogotá perspective as presented by Merci Palais D’or have a projection far beyond local markets, and rest assured it will be a hot topic in the years to come.

Backstage of Pangea by Merci Palais D'or at BFW 2024. Picture: Francesco Gross for Informa Models.

Last but not least, General showcased their Wow collection, with aesthetics based on the contrast between paint-splashed, heavily processed denim, cotton and wool, shiny silver accessories and Vans sneakers, for a final look that very well resembled those of the cool kids in Tokyo and Bangkok. The highlight of the show came at the end, when a panel with a fabric banner was taken down by two runway assistants to reveal its actual purpose: it was the train of the last look of the collection, which looked like an urban bride in a wedding dress made of upcycled fabrics. It was the best possible cherry on top for the brand’s show and left an excellent opinion among fashion critics and enthusiasts alike.

Final look of General's Wow collection on BFW 2024. Video: Xue Müller Limberti.

Although it is easy to understand that holding an event such as BFW is no easy task, logistics management should be improved for future editions. Runway show access was not as organized as it should have been, and the halls filled up in seconds, so even people who had a registered invitation were not allowed inside to watch the event. Also, some people in the audience did not follow instructions to activate the QR codes on their printed invitations to go inside, which created delays and made the event’s development slower. These are points to work on as soon as possible, since BFW will undoubtedly grow in the coming years and attract bigger crowds.

As a final suggestion, keeping in mind similar events like Seoul Fashion Week that intend to bring fashion to the general public, livestreaming of runway shows on screens outside of the venue would be a solution to some of the logistic problems seen on BFW 2024.

As a whole, BFW is doing a very important job in the promotion of Colombian fashion businesses and brands, and I will be looking forward to watching what the 2025 version will bring.