It’s an incredibly exciting time for Latin American fashion. The community spans countries, ethnicities, and backgrounds, and boasts an unprecedented number of skilled designers and fashion creatives—and fortunately, the world is finally catching up. It makes sense, then, that two bona fide Latin American fashion legends, businesswoman Constanza Etro and designer Silvia Argüello, have teamed up to launch the first-ever Latin American Fashion Awards, celebrating and bolstering the talent of the region. For the inaugural ceremony, which will take place this November, the duo have announced the roster for the international jury, comprised of international fashion heavyweights that are committed to honoring the values of the Latin American style set. The lineup includes CFDA president Steven Kolb, ELLE’s own editor-in-chief Nina Garcia, fashion editor and industry icon Anna Dello Russo, stylist Carlos Nazario, supermodel and actress Indya Moore, and more.
The group will vote on all contestants across 12 categories, which include Fashion Designer, Emerging Fashion Designer/Brand, Model of the Year, and Fashion Influencer of the Year. Then, the jury and all contestants will convene at the iconic Casa de Campo’s Altos de Chavón Ampitheatre in the Dominican Republic from November 2–5 to honor the winners chosen from the open call. Selected designers will be offered mentorships from the CFDA, a space at Milan Fashion Week to display their designs, and the chance to exhibit their brands at the Fashion Film Festival Milano. (No big deal!)
Of course, each of the jury members is actively committed to supporting young Latin American talent, and providing them with opportunities not otherwise afforded to those working outside of the traditional fashion capitals. The open call submissions are available to all Latin American talent in the fashion space from now until June 30 at 11:59 P.M. ET at latinamericanfashionawards.com. Buena suerte a todos!
Kevin LeBlanc is the Fashion Associate at ELLE Magazine. He covers fashion news, trends, and anything to do with Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
