Constanza Etro has always used her influence and passion to identify needs and create spaces which celebrate emerging talent in innovative ways.
She was born in Argentina, but her career in fashion started in Mexico City where she hosted her own television show, created one of the most influential communication agencies in Latin America Cavalli Communicacion, and was one of the founders and fashion directors of Fashion Week Mexico. In 2006, she married the designer Kean Etro and moved to Milan where she would eventually conceive the first edition of Fashion Film Festival Milano in 2014, an international multi-platform project of fashion and cinema engaging luxury brands and creators from all around the world.
Now, the first-ever Latin American Fashion Awards which she co-founded Silvia Argüello are days away from taking place on November 4 in the iconic Altos de Chavón Amphitheater in Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic. The evening includes 13 categories, over 25 participating countries and 16 members of the international jury of which CFDA CEO Steven Kolb is part of, including a half-time show performance by Colombian global superstar J Balvin, who will receive the Latin Fashion Icon of the Year award.
How did the idea of creating the Latin American Fashion Awards come about?
The idea of creating the first ever Latin American Fashion Awards started four years ago at my Fashion Film Festival Milano’s office in Milan where I was preparing the festival’s 6th edition. Silvia [Argüello] and I had been working around the idea of supporting Latin American talents in the fashion industry around the world for a while and decided to put our expertise and network at service, giving back what we had received, both knowing what it meant to be Latin creatives outside our communities. We knew that there was no such thing as an Award Celebration for Latin talent, an inclusive project celebrating the Latin American fashion industry at 360°. That was the starting point of the project. After having envisioned every detail, feeling what the core values of the project were, after many years of working behind the scenes and endless online meetings during the pandemic, the project was finally announced in February 2023. Since that time, the most important personalities and organizations of the fashion industry have joined forces organically to support our Project.
What are your thoughts on the current state of Latinxs in the fashion industry, and how can we empower and make room for diversity in the pipeline?
The Latinx community is a strong work force in the fashion industry on an international scale and many of them are not still recognized for being Latinxs. The key to empowering them is to give them as much visibility as possible, to support them and respect their aesthetics and message without imposing ways that do not represent them. I feel this is the perfect time to tell our story—the industry is open to new ideas, styles, and strong messages, and those are assets every talent should always have in mind and not lose them on their way to success. Today, different arts and realities coexist, and fashion is the meeting point where music, video, and art meet. That’s why music is a key player within the awards.
Why is it important to celebrate Latinx heritage and culture in fashion?
There’s so much richness, depth, authenticity, and spontaneity within the Latinx culture that we believe the whole world needs to know about it. Latin America is a region full of natural resources, from fibers to craftsmanship and a strong textile industry. There’s a wide array of local communities, each unique and with its own style that still carry their ancestral heritage and that we need to preserve and protect.
But the most important aspect of the Latinx culture and heritage we want to stand out is the beauty and love of the whole community. During this past year, as we have been developing this project, we got to know amazing people who wanted to join us and support us because we all agree that Latinx are stronger when together.
Why was the Dominican Republic chosen as the first country to host the awards? Will future iterations of the Awards take place in other Latin American countries?
Dominican Republic is the perfect place for the first edition of Latin American Fashion Awards because of the uniqueness and beauty of its landscapes. It’s also home to Silvia, my partner and friend, a neutral country in terms of fashion, as well as an accessible destination for everyone to come.
After this first edition, we will consider whether to continue to make the Awards in the Dominican Republic or explore other Latin American countries, but anyway, “Latin American Fashion Awards” will always have two headquarters, one in the Dominican Republic and one in Milan, where I live. We think this is a perfect combination to add international visibility to our talents.
What do you hope is the greatest takeaway from the Latin American Fashion Awards?
We hope Latin American Fashion Awards to become a reference in terms of Latin American talents, discovering and promoting new upcoming talents and help them connect with the fashion industry on a global scale, empowering them to tell their stories, to show their work and quality. Also, to become a platform that celebrates the excellence of the established ones.
latinamericanfashionawards.com
