Runway
Trendy Fashion Week celebrated Latin American roots by blending local ancient craftsmanship with modern elegance, showcasing a movement that redefines sustainability through innovative styles.
Updated 12:12 pm EDT, October 1, 2025
Published 12:10 pm EDT, October 1, 2025
Photo Courtesy: Trendy Fashion Week
With glorious weather reigning in Bolivia last month, Carlos Pardo, who is a well-known fashion producer in the Bolivian fashion industry, presented two days of high fashion in the Andes. Carlos is a leading fashion figure in the country, known for his creative vision and dramatic style that has produced gorgeous and thought-provoking fashion presentations throughout his career.
Trendy Fashion Week 2025 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
In August 2025, Carlos produced and directed “Trendy Fashion Week 2025,” which was held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, from August 13–14, 2025. The second edition of the event focused on the themes of “Fashion, Sustainability, and Identity.” The event showcased designs from over 25 Bolivian designers alongside international talent from countries including Miami, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Madrid.
The event brought together designers who not only exhibited their creativity but also highlighted their connections to their Latin American roots, signaling their visions for the future of fashion. Modern Latin American culture is truly unique since it is a mixture of the indigenous past, which is thousands of years old, and Spanish culture from the 16th century. We are a distinct and proud culture, and this event provided another avenue to celebrate our contributions to a more international culture.
Carlos Pardo presenting Trendy Fashion Week 2025 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Carlos and his team were determined not to simply present pretty clothes but instead help redefine sustainability into elegance, old identities into innovative, experimental styles, and present our social challenges into wearable art. The event highlighted historical local craftsmanship in new, innovative ways, because, as Carlos stated, “the future is not predicted… it is designed.”
Trendy Fashion Week 2025 is part of a larger trend where sustainability has become a central focus. Major international fashion weeks and brands are implementing stricter sustainability rules, and many designers are incorporating circular models, ethical sourcing, and eco-friendly materials. Trendy Fashion Week 2025’s decision to adopt a sustainability theme places it within this evolving movement. It was a gorgeous display of Latin-American creativity and glamor. AVESSA cannot wait to see what is in store for the next edition
Sonia Avilés during Trendy Fashion Week - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, 2025
The extraordinary Fashion Designer Sonia Avilés, a Bolivian fashion designer, presented at Trendy Fashion Week 2025, but she was previously featured at “American Indian Fashion Through the Feathers” runway show during New York Fashion Week (NYFW) in September 2025. In New York, she and other designers presented clothes that highlighted indigenous culture and ancestral techniques in the creation of fabrics. Sonia’s aesthetic is very particular and fascinating. She presents a fusion of Bolivian Indigenous artistry with more modern methods in the creation of her outfits. Her collection presented at Trendy Fashion Week was called “Bicentenario,” which celebrated the bicentennial (200th anniversary) of Bolivia’s independence. She worked with local artisans to create unique textiles and one-of-a-kind clothes that celebrated her artistic vision as well as her culture.
Sonia’s collection was frankly sumptuous and based on a vivid color palette of bright cherry reds and midnight blacks, all bordered in gold and traditional flowered embroidery. She was flawless with her mixture of traditional Bolivian styles and Spanish silhouettes from the 18th century. A favorite look was the first outfit down the runway. It was a beautiful symbiosis of a Spanish flamenco dress with a more breezy indigenous pollera (a layered, pleated skirt). Instead of a bombín (a small bowler hat), Sonia used a sombrero cordobés. The vibrant red of the dress was countered with flowered embroidery that leapt from the fabric. It was a truly unique look that drew inspiration from both cultures. In other outfits, Sonia played with nude fabric which mimicked the corsets used by the Spanish Duennas and long flowing skirts which modernized her collection and made it sexy as well as theatrical.
Gimena Montalvo during Trendy Fashion Week - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, 2025
Gimena Montalvo, a Bolivian fashion designer known for her bridal wear, unveiled a more universal collection for this show. The collection was called “Munay”. The Quechua word, Munay, signifies ‘love,’ ‘will,’ and ‘willpower’, a living energy. Montalvo has inventively combined Bolivian textiles with long and mini dresses in a palette of black, red, earth tones, deep blues, and quinoa greens, accented with pops of golden yellow. The collection, a modern twist on traditional elements, features a harmonious blend of bustiers, long traditional serapes, and exquisite indigenous textiles, paying homage to Bolivia’s rich history.
Marcelo Rojas during Trendy Fashion Week - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, 2025
Fashion Designer and TV host Marcelo Rojas also presented at Trendy Fashion Week 2025. Marcelo is an established Bolivian fashion designer known for his sophisticated aesthetic that blends contemporary and urban styles with traditional elements from Bolivia’s cultural heritage. He was dubbed the ‘Gentleman of Bolivian Fashion’ by the newspaper ‘El Deber’ in recognition of his decades-long career and elegant design approach. For the Trendy Week event, Marcelo presented his ‘TEKOPORÁ MYMY’ Collection, which refers to silent luxury.
This collection is unique as it fuses baby alpaca with the Ava Guaraní culture. The Ava Guarani were historically known for their warrior ethos and fierce independence, but ultimately were subjugated by colonialism and almost lost as a culture. The group re-emerged in the 1970s under the name Ava Guaraní, which translates to ‘the people’ or ‘the humans’. Marcelo’s collection presented classically tailored capes, coats, and jackets in modern designs, symbolizing a revival of the Ava Guaraní culture. It’s a celebration of silent luxury with highland roots.’
LORS during Trendy Fashion Week - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, 2025
LORS presented their “PatchLORS” Collection, which highlighted their bold aesthetic and ecological commitment. LORS is a pioneer in the upcycling movement in Bolivia, and the brand’s designs have an irreverent style. This specific collection features recycled fabric scraps in a tribute to Japan, with an oversized unisex shape that incorporates fabrics with sakura and maneki-neko prints.
Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra (UPSA) during Trendy Fashion Week - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, 2025
The UPSA Fashion Design and Management program presented a combined collection with its students who come from all over Bolivia, including La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz. The program presented its collection “Vanguardia y Raíz,” which presented traditional embroidery reinterpreted with modern silhouettes, combining respect for Bolivian culture and the rigor of Italian craftsmanship.
Lisi Fracchia during Trendy Fashion Week - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, 2025
Lisi Fracchia, a renowned gem expert and fine jewelry designer from Patagonia, Argentina, fuses tradition with innovation, creating unique pieces that are both beautiful and sophisticated. Maria presented her new collection, “Mi Lugar En Mundo,” stating, “It is more than a jewelry collection; it’s a constant reminder that we carry a piece of home with us, wherever we go.” Her collection was inspired by Bolivia and included the “Espejo del Cielo” bracelet, which was created in 18k gold-plated sterling silver. The bracelet references the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the world’s largest salt flat. The salt flat’s vast, reflective surface creates a mirror effect during the rainy season, reflecting the sky.
Sarango Style during Trendy Fashion Week - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, 2025
Javier Crespo is a Bolivian master tailor and menswear designer who is the driving force behind the brand Sarango Style. He was trained in Florence and has a contemporary take on classic tailoring. The collection called “La Rebelión del Caballero” references a desire to defy modern fast fashion with elegant, classic Italian tailoring.
Recovering from an obsession with Italian-designed menswear, Alfonso decided to take a deeper look into women’s fashion to see how our relationship among clothing, society, and business has changed. Educated as an economist with an MBA, he travels between Chicago, Miami, and Mexico on a search to see what happens next to fashion.
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