Colombiamoda projects an economic impact of $13 million for Medellín and the participation of more than 600 brands.

Next week, from July 29th to 31st, Colombiamoda will return to Medellín with a renewed focus. The event, led by Inexmoda, seeks to merge fashion, culture, and business in various venues across the country.

This year, more than 600 apparel brands are expected to participate, with nearly 50,000 people attending, including 12,000 national and international buyers.

The event is also estimated to generate an economic impact of more than $13 million for the city of Medellín.

The event's program includes more than 25 catwalks that will take place over four days at venues such as Plaza Mayor, Plaza Botero, Parques del Río, Parque de los Pies Descalzos, and the San Ignacio Cloister.

The inaugural runway show will be curated by Agua + Agua Bendita; the opening event will take place at Plaza Mayor with La Petite Mort ; and the closing event will feature Mexican designers Julia and Renata.

During the four-day fair, there will be an academic component, with more than 50 training sessions including conferences, forums, and panels. In the Knowledge Pavilion, the Trends Forum, and Green Talks, in partnership with the French sneaker brand Veja, experts from more than 10 countries will address topics such as sustainability, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and internationalization.

The fair will also launch a city circuit with more than 100 events in Medellín, combining fashion, art, gastronomy, film , theater, and music in cultural venues such as the Metropolitan Theater, Perpetuo Socorro, and the Claustro de San Ignacio.

Sebastián Díez, CEO of Inexmoda, recently emphasized that the goal of these types of events is to continue consolidating Colombia as a Latin American fashion hub.

“At the heart of this transformation is co-creation, which not only inspires the development of platforms like Colombiamoda, but also drives new models of collaboration between brands, designers, industries, and cultures ,” said Díez.

Other new features at this edition of Colombiamoda include the Sustainability Route, a tour of more than 50 brands with responsible practices , and the Sustainable Materials Library.

On the other hand, the program wasn't limited to the capital of Antioquia: it also extended to other cities such as Bogotá, where designer Alejandro Crocker presented his runway show on TransMilenio; to Santa Marta, with the collaboration between Anthias and Bless HS as part of the city's 500th anniversary celebration; and to Cali, with a conscious fashion offering presented at Parques del Río, featuring brands such as Isgo, Pluvie, and Amarí.

Regarding the 'Pearl of the Tropics' collection, Marco Emiliani, creative director of Anthias, and Daniela Londoño, public relations officer for Bless HS, spoke with EL TIEMPO about their proposal, assuring that this work allowed them to strengthen the pillars of each brand.

'Pearl of the Tropics' seeks to merge artisanal work, carried out by female heads of household, with the tropical concept that characterizes Anthias. "At Bless, we want to exalt artisanal luxury to elevate fashion; and with Anthias, we've created a beautiful combination to bring what we do to a male audience through our collaboration ," says Londoño.

For several years, Colombiamoda has established itself as one of the leading textile trade shows in the region. Last year alone, it featured 600 participating national and international brands and 12,000 buyers (10,000 national and 2,000 international). During the 35th edition of Fashion Week, 70,500 people attended, according to Inexmoda.

During the last edition, of the total participating brands, 90 percent were national and 10 percent international, mainly from regions such as Antioquia , Santander, and Cundinamarca, as well as countries such as Brazil, Panama, Spain, and India.

Figures from Medellín's Mayor's Office also showed that the fair had an economic impact of $13.3 million , thanks to meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) tourism. According to María Fernanda Galeano Rojo, Medellín's Secretary of Economic Development, this money was distributed primarily among the commerce, hospitality, and transportation sectors.

“Colombiamoda has evolved over its 35 years to celebrate fashion and our creative talents. Colombian Fashion Week will continue this path so that the city and the country increasingly embrace this unique fair as a platform for the internationalization of national fashion,” stated Sebastián Díez, CEO of Inexmoda, at the time.

Colombiamoda opens with the Green Loop, a pavilion dedicated to sustainable fashion that will bring together Veja, Malva, Inexmoda, and Coca-Cola, spearheading a narrative that aims to close the production cycle. Veja will showcase its commitment to eco-friendly materials (Amazonian rubber, organic cotton, and recycled materials) and labor justice. Malva, for its part, will reinforce this conversation with a curated selection of local designs based on principles of environmental responsibility.

In one of the most ambitious shows of this year's fair, Punto Blanco will present its collection at the Parque Biblioteca Belén , in a bid to take fashion beyond traditional venues. The brand, known for its focus on outerwear, sportswear, and underwear, will elevate its offering with a performance alongside the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra, which will perform live compositions created for the runway.

The collection will highlight the brand's integrity with versatile looks inspired by the corporate core trend , proposing a contemporary everyday wardrobe. The runway will also feature a series of showpieces inspired by musical dress codes.

'Invisible Prelude' will not only mark Punto Blanco's return to Colombiamoda, but will also showcase the best of Colombian premium fashion .

Veja returns to the Green Loop pavilion to lead the talk "Hands that Close the Loop," in which she will share her experience building an ethical and coherent brand at every stage : from raw materials to the final consumer. This is a space to seriously consider sustainability as a business model, with concrete examples of social and environmental impact.

Thursday night will bring one of the most significant shows of this edition. Malva, in partnership with Pink Filosofy (a brand founded by Johanna Ortiz and Adriana Arboleda) and with the participation of Veja, will star in a catwalk that will bring together fashion, responsibility and conscious femininity.

Don Julio presents "Lola Baila Descalza," the Sea Salt runway show created by Laura Tobón and designer Juan Pablo Socarrás , a celebration of feminine strength, love for one's origins, and the freedom to be. The collection fuses artisanal fabrics, contemporary silhouettes, and a deeply Latin narrative, connected to the spirit of Don Julio.

ANGIE RODRÍGUEZ - TRENDS EDITORIAL - @ANGS0614