Esteban Cortázar is in Paris. As the line rings and he come to the receiver, I’m surprised at the warmth in his voice and his instant greeting that makes me think we’re old friends. Latinos.

At one point in time, he was the youngest designer to debut at New York Fashion Week. It didn’t occur to the then-18 year-old that he would be representing Latinidad for the world’s stage at that first runway show in 2002, which Cindy Crawford walked in.

Growing up, he split his time between his mother in his hometown of Bogotá, Colombia, and his father, who moved to Miami after separating – two countries which painted colorful pictures that inspire his work to this day. Both parents were artists in their own right, living bohemian, well-traveled lives which make Cortázar recount home as a place of acceptance, color and light for his coming-of-age years.

Cortázar remembers South Beach in the ‘90s as a vastly different place from today, his memory constrained within the 17 blocks that used to make up Ocean Drive – then still a “small” beach town.

That decade saw a booming artistic renaissance coming off of the AIDS crisis. It was a home for the “others” of society, and nightlife thrived because of many creatives and queer people who gathered there and protected each other.

Of course, Cortázar was there to witness its queer allure that included the Gianni Versace era there, which many consider the peak of gay South Beach.

The young, aspiring designer lived across the beach which took him from day school to the scene by just crossing the street to hang out with the adults he yearned to spend time with.

“In Miami, I saw things that I related to in my heart,” he recalled. “I started to become friends with drag queens as a little kid, and my dad let me hang out with them. I would just sit and watch them get ready in awe.

“That Latin flavor and the idea of celebrating women – my appreciation for color and for sexiness, skin and sexuality – was definitely formed in Miami,” he continued. “It evolved from there as I moved to New York City and then to Paris. You see the early references as the designs progress.”

Miami is a place that is unapologetically Latin: the sounds, color, and the Spanish language, which is heard at almost every point you turn to. Today, with his influence, it’s important for him to honor his inspirations and pay it forward, empowering Latin media, press and retailers to show his appreciation for their support.

The audience, models and collection at Cortázar shows always have Latin flavor, making it a reunion for the community in Paris when they arrive at his show.

The Parisian fashion calendar is tight. Sparsely changed, highly selective, and made up of 78 brands throughout the course of nine days, Cortázar proudly represents being one of two Latinxs on the Paris calendar (The other is Haider Ackermann, also born in Bogotá).

Esteban’s Latin influence on Paris does not go unnoticed. In 2017 Colette, shortly before closing, partnered with the designer for a takeover to celebrate the year of Colombia in France. It was a time for all of us to be proud around the world, marking Colombia as the first Latin American country to be tapped by France for this cultural partnership.

For Cortázar, this was an opportunity to empower Colombian artisans and collaborate in this iconic retail space with accessories, books, food and drinks, and art – a recreation of a traditional Colombian market.

This included Latin reggaeton artist J. Balvin (real name José Álvaro Osorio Balvin), a previous NYFW: Men’s Official Ambassador, whom the designer described as “one of the most wonderful, inspiring people I’ve ever met. I was enchanted by his realness, spirit and personality. It moves me and makes me even emotional to think about him, what he represents, and what he did for our culture that day.”

Balvin contributed to the project’s success, and what seemed like the entire Latin community of Paris at Colette came out to celebrate Latinidad. Cortázar considers this a highlight of his career.

The designer became a fashion sensation at a young age, but he acknowledges that rising to prominence so quickly wasn’t as easy as it seems. Fashion, he said, is “a bubble, [and] incredibly hard to enter.”

“In the Instagram generation, there are a lot of Latin people that are coming out,” he said. “Lots of Instagram brands are getting their own following and own momentum. They are demanding to be noticed, and the day will come.”

For the designer, it’s not about being the only one – or in his case, the youngest one – but about making noise and space, recognizing that there is enough room for us all at the top.

“Certain Latinos in the industry do push and exercise their power on behalf of all us, and we need more of that,” he added. “There’s still so much to do, but my first reaction isn’t to be negative, it’s to be positive. Things are happening and it might not be enough for some, but we all have the chance and opportunity today to do it ourselves, show it, and do it for the community.”

For Cortázar, celebrating Latinidad this month is about uplifting our culture with the hopes of inspiring others, including the younger generation that may feel alone living in rural areas of Latin America without someone to look up to.

“We’re wonderful, warm people and when we’re together, we know how to celebrate something,” he said. “We are festive human beings in our nature, colorful in ways I can’t describe, and that alone is an amazing reason to come together and celebrate our culture.”

Editor’s Note: This feature is part of an ongoing editorial series celebrating Latinxs in fashion during National Hispanic Heritage Month.  Click here to access the series.