Lineup of designers at Costa Rica Fashion Week 2023
The event will go on in August, with the aim to make fashion more sustainable
The 22nd edition of Costa Rica Fashion Week (CRFW) is preparing to receive eleven international designers and nine national designers, the event will take place at the Antigua Aduana on August 3, 4 and 5.
Among the national designers to be presented this year is the return of Mauricio Alpízar, who has been based in Australia since 1995 and has managed to establish himself not only in that country, but has been presented on major runways in New York and many European countries. This Costa Rican designer is committed to sustainable and ethical fashion with timeless pieces and dramatic prints.
In its latest collection, Alpízar incorporates SMESTA fabrics in support of the sustainable fashion industry which natural acacia wood chip fiber as its main material composition and also OEKO-TEX 100 certified eco-friendly ink, making it easy to bring to life the vibrant designs of its signature prints.
Along with Alpízar, this year will be the debut of the brand Become by Lenda and Yokasta Valle, in which the national boxing champion and her sister who is a fashion designer join forces. Their brand focuses on athleisure and sportswear, mixing versatility and comfort with the sporting demands that Yokasta Valle herself knows firsthand as a high-level athlete.
The lineup of Costa Rican designers is completed by AMAG by Nolys Rodríguez, Kevin Rojas, Gerson André, Marco Garro, Edgar Rodríguez, New Pend’jo and Petisa.
This year’s CRFW runways will welcome two Spanish designers, Maison Mesa and Beatriz Peñalver. In addition, a group of outstanding Latin American designers: Gustavo Pucheta from Argentina, José Miguel Valdivia from Peru, Andrea Galvez from El Salvador, Erick Brendaña from Nicaragua and Jesús de la Garsa from Mexico. American designer Paloma Balvin will also be present.
Alongside this lineup of designers, a group of fashion design students from Istituto Marangoni in Miami, INA and Véritas University will also present their creations.
Costa Rica Fashion Week 2023: Forever Green
Friday, May 26th, 2023.
The presentation of the Costa Rica Fashion Week took place this morning In the Salón Dorado of the Costa Rican Museum of Art (Museo de Arte Costarricense), which will be held from August 3rd to 5th at the Antigua Aduana with the participation of national and international designers.
Under the slogan FOREVER GREEN, the CRFW is the first event of its kind in Latin America focused on sustainable fashion and the promotion of sustainable practices, and this year celebrates its 22nd anniversary. This year’s runways, as in the previous year, will allow attendees to contribute to planting many trees in the country, thanks to the support of the “Planta mi árbol” Foundation.
CRFW was presented with the UN seal for its measurable impact in the fight against climate change and we are signatories of the Earth Charter, in addition to a partnership agreement with UNFPA and we are supported by the embassies of Spain, Italy, France and the United Kingdom in Costa Rica.
The design and assembly of the stage of this year’s event are in charge of the well-known Spanish firm ESMA, which will allow the integration of different environments powered by clean and renewable energies.
A fundamental pillar to promote the talent of national and Latin American designers is the possibility of studying at important fashion design and fashion business schools. In this sense, the CRFW will have the participation of experts from the ISEM Fashion Business School of Spain and the Istituto Marangoni as part of the CRFW’s educational day that will take place at the Cultural Center of Spain. As part of the alliance with Istituto Marangoni Miami and Istituto Marangoni Milan, a scholarship will be offered to study at both locations.
The Costa Rican designers participating in this year’s Fashion Week are:
Mauricio Alpízar
Costa Rican designer who lives in Australia and after 15 years returns to present in Costa Rica. His brand is characterized by its timeless elegant designs and its elaboration for being ethical and sustainable.
AMAG by Nolys Rodríguez
This is the brand of the Venezuelan designer based in Costa Rica Nolys Rodríguez. The work of her atelier is based on sustainability, ethics and social responsibility; it is a brand that dresses modern and enterprising women with versatile, sustainable and elegant designs.
Become
It is the brand with which the Costa Rican athlete Yokasta Valle debuts. Become’s garments are sportswear and focus on sustainable materials and functional designs. The clothing will be made by inmates of the Vilma Curling Penal Center.
Kevin Rojas
His brand specializes in avant-garde design and the use of vibrant textures and materials and has experience dressing celebrities such as Paulina Rubio and on red carpets.
Gerson André
This Costa Rican fashion designer’s brand focuses on classic tailoring combined with modern designs and classic colors.
Marco Garro
This brand mixes the boldness of streetwear with elaborate details typical of haute couture, resulting in daring and innovative designs.
Edgar Rodriguez
This designer presents a line of waterproof leather jackets with modern and versatile designs.
New Pend’jo
It is the brand of designer Ronal Calderón and presents avant-garde designs that combine prints with vibrant colors in a streetwear line.
Petisa
It is Melina’s women’s clothing brand that includes skirts, dresses and timeless accessories such as scarves and bandanas.
Fashion design students from INA and U Veritas will also present their creations on the catwalks.
As for international designers, these will be the participants:
- Maison Mesa SPAIN
- García Madrid SPAIN
- Beatriz Peñalver SPAIN
- Gustavo Pucheta ARGENTINA
- José Miguel Valdivia PERU
- Paloma Balvin USA
- Leonisa Colombia
- Marangoni Miami.
- Andrea Galvez El Salvador
- Marangoni Milan
- Erick Brendaña ( Nicaragua)
- Jesús de la Garsa (Mexico).
In addition, the Casa del Cuño will host the Fashion Market, which offers entrepreneurs and SMEs the opportunity to offer their products and designs.
The press conference was attended by the media, national designers, representatives of MEIC, MINAE and INA, as well as diplomatic missions accredited in the country.
Tickets for this year’s runway shows are now on sale on the Costa Rica Fashion Week website.
