Latin American Fashion Summit 2024
Written by Catalina Escobar
This past week, the vibrant city of Miami hosted the highly anticipated Latin American Fashion Summit, a four-day celebration of creativity, innovation, and culture. From November 9th to 12th, the summit brought together trailblazers, visionaries, and emerging talents from the Latin American fashion community. Designed as a dynamic platform, it offered attendees the chance to connect, learn from industry leaders through insightful talks and hands-on workshops, and celebrate the shared passion and influence shaping the future of Latin American fashion.
The summit was held at the Miami Design District, the headquarters of modern luxury in the city of Miami. The Design District provided a unique space for the event, as it is home to some of the most exclusive brands as well as to innovative art installations, galleries, and high-end boutiques. The district has become an iconic destination for locals and visitors, attracting creatives, influencers, and celebrities. This setting perfectly complemented the summit's mission of elevating Latin American talent in the fashion world, highlighting both creativity and commerce.
The Latin American Fashion Summit (LAFS) was founded by Estefania Lacayo and Samantha Tams, two accomplished latina fashion industry professionals with deep roots in global fashion and an unrelenting commitment to elevating Latin American talent on the international stage. Estefania, a Nicaraguan-born entrepreneur with experience in luxury fashion media, and Samantha, a Mexican-born fashion consultant and brand strategist, created LAFS to address the limited visibility and opportunities for latin american designers within the global market. Together, they envisioned a collaborative platform where creatives, business leaders, and industry experts could unite to exchange ideas, foster innovation, and celebrate latin american culture.
The summit brought together an impressive lineup of speakers who shared invaluable insights into the fashion industry. Noteworthy talks where given by Ewa Abrams, who discussed Luxury, Leadership, and Legacy for emerging fashion entrepreneurs; Maren Lau, who delved into Building Brands and Connection on WhatsApp; Sarah Lee, touched on Building a Global Brand and gave key insights on growing a business; Alexandra Winokur, spoke on Crafting the Luxury Experience; and Stephanie Phair, offered an insider perspective on The Future of Fashion.
The summit's industry-leading workshops brought an inspiring lineup of mentors, blending expertise from the worlds of fashion and business. Highlights included an engaging Q&A seminar with Maria Williams, a dynamic revenue-boosting strategy workshop led by Marines Duarte and Memo Plehn, a captivating session on the art of storytelling by Camila Galfione, and a thought-provoking analysis of the trends set to define 2025 as well as a look into the current state of fashion by Jeff Carvalho.
The event concluded with networking sessions hosted at the Design District office, led by Camila Galfione, a writer for Vogue Mexico & Latin America and fashion blogger. These sessions provided an opportunity for college students, designers, and emerging talents to connect with and gain insights from top-tier leaders in the fashion world. Inspiring figures who participated in these sessions included April Henning, Michelle Stein Borgna, and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson.
The event, proudly sponsored by industry giants like Kering, PatBo, Istituto Marangoni Miami, Victoria's Secret, and Maison Perrier, was a celebration of innovation and talent. At its core, the summit served as a dual-stage pitch competition, spotlighting visionary designers and their groundbreaking work. This year's winners stole the spotlight: Baobab was crowned Latin Designer of the Year, Studio Conchita earned Accessories Designer of the Year, and Curatoria Design was honored as the Social Impact Project of the Year.
The pop-up showcased standout Latin brands that embodied innovation and artistry. Carolina Ronderos, a Colombian label, impressed with its dedication to upcycling denim and sustainable design. Fellow Colombian brand Faride Ramos made a statement by empowering women and raising awareness through unique materials like x-rays of breast cancer melanomas. Bolivia's WEISE dazzled with its elegant, cutting-edge tailoring, while Argentina's DOMA showcased masterful leather craftsmanship through timeless, artful designs. Together, these brands highlighted the rich creativity and diversity shaping Latin America's fashion scene.
The Latin American Fashion Summit 2024 concluded with a dazzling closing gala held in Miami's historic Alfred DuPont Building. This iconic venue set the stage for an unforgettable evening, featuring an exclusive guest list of industry leaders, designers, and influencers/celebrities . The gala celebrated the creativity and innovation showcased throughout the summit, while fostering connections and inspiring conversations about the future of Latin American fashion. With its blend of elegance, influence, and cultural pride, the evening was the perfect finale to a transformative event.
Special thanks to Andrew Gifford from the Design District for making it possible to be a part of this incredible experience.