From January 21 to 24, the 82nd edition of Intermoda Fashion Capital, Latin America’s largest fashion business exhibition, was held at Expo Guadalajara, Mexico. The first day of activities began with an inaugural ceremony where Intermoda’s president, Mr. Jorge Castellanos welcomed the attendees and said: "We want Intermoda to be a space for inspiring, learning, and growing within the industry. It is about showcasing products and creating an environment where participants can establish strategic connections, expand their knowledge, and learn about new business opportunities".
The inaugural fashion show was led by the brand MORA RUIZ with the collection “A volar sin límites,” which showed garments that fuse the delicacy of linen with the robustness of leather, creating a fascinating visual contrast. The butterflies, embroidered by hand, adorn each piece, symbolizing transformation and beauty. The knots and petticoats made by skillful female hands bring a touch of craftsmanship and magic, evoking the connection between tradition and modernity.
One of the central themes that determined the program's content of the fair, was SUSTAINABILITY, bringing recognized experts in the topic. Among these, we highlight an experience with Mireille Acquart, founder of Ethical Fashion Space in which a dynamic was carried out where they were given to each participant a personalized lottery card with images and concepts related to the theme of sustainable fashion. In addition, each time Mireille mentioned each card, she went into detail explaining the key concepts, such as recycling programs, global reporting initiatives, and decarbonization strategies, among other topics.
Following the same line of sustainability, Diana Hernández, CEO and creative director of Wefundamentally, in her conference "Sustainability or no sustainability? Because it should no longer be a dilemma. She stressed the urgency of transforming the fashion industry, not only to minimize environmental impact but also to generate positive social and economic change. She also highlighted the relevance of concepts such as traceability and transparency in the industry, which, when implemented, not only strengthen customer trust but also act as differentiators against the fast fashion business model.
In the matter of fashion shows, some were held with brands that have sustainability initiatives such as Haute á Porter Mexican Couture and Hilo & el mar, this proposal promoted conscious consumption, encouraging to choose biodegradable materials. Fashion thus becomes a form of expression that respects the planet and its inhabitants.
The technology theme, another central focus of this edition’s content, the conference "Fashion of the future: Innovation in the digital age, taught by Edely Garnica, co-founder of ResearchMag and representative of Browzwear in Latin America, spoke during her talk about how the implementation of technologies such as 3D and augmented reality transforms the industry, by allowing products to be designed, customized, and tested virtually before they are manufactured, reducing costs, errors, and time. In addition, these tools improve the customer experience within e-commerce platforms, offering interactive visualizations and real-time customization options.
In addition, a mixed reality experience was lived at Trend Zone, in this edition 82, the digital experience was taken to another level with the exclusive Fashion VR Experience, a unique activity where, from the wrist of the attendees, they could experience a tour of complete collections, as if they were on a futuristic runway. Augmented reality allowed them to appreciate in detail textures, colors, and volumes, mixing the physical with the digital in an immersive environment.
In an interview with Elena Alonso, Trend Zone content coordinator at Intermoda, commented that this virtual experience is the product of a collaboration with digital artists, with entrepreneurs who are dedicated to all the parts of virtual reality with software such as Bichi Soul, and the intention is that all users can have a different experience, marking a step forward in innovation, technology, and sustainability, "what you see with these visors is a collection made by digital artists like GrisWave, who designed us a footwear collection, we also have designs from Browzwear, the clothing digitization software, you can practically explore the garments, zoom in, review the textures, all done thanks to information trends they have with their allies such as WGSN, Fashion Snoops" She said. The intention is that people can check before a production how clothes can be seen, how textiles can be characterized and behave, and before a production is sold in advance. It’s interesting to work with virtual reality software, with 3D artists, and all thanks to the information that is being cured so that consumers can be easier to digest the information.
The closing fashion show was led by the brand Siete Cactus which presented its new collection "Rancho Mafia", made up of garments created in Mexican national territory, ranch costumes, and street scenes. "Rancho Mafia" fuses elegance with attitude, in spacious and detailed pieces that celebrate the cowboy spirit. Subtle lace, eye-catching embroidery, and relaxed cuts make each suit a statement of power and style. The live music was performed by a group of Mexican regional musicians, who transformed the evening into a celebration of fashion and artistic expression for all of Latin America.
The 82nd edition of Intermoda Fashion Capital closed with 650 exhibitors, from 23 states and 12 countries, who gathered in 49,000 square meters that occupied the fashion business exhibition. For this edition, there were 1,500 stands, more than 1,000 brands participated, 15 fashion shows, 11 conferences, 2 panels, and 8 specialized workshops, where experts shared their experiences and knowledge to make a business network that links all participants coming from different latitudes of the region.