"Fashion has no age and it is a statement of who you are. Embrace it," said 60-year-old LFW attendee Coty Cervantes who was incredibly fashionable, elegant and enthusiastic herself to attend the event. She showed that fashion has no age, no gender, no limit. It is is simply a statement of who you are.
Each day LFW included runway shows featuring local, national, and international designers, such as men’s wear designer from Peru, Yirko Sivirich, Mexican-Cuban American Celebrity designer, Willfredo Gerardo, Pinky from Bolivia, and others. On closing night, the audience had the opportunity to see on the runway the Royal Black Exhibit from Puerto Rico, with dresses designed by some of the top designers from Puerto Rico. Chicago is the first city to feature the exhibit and collection outside of Puerto Rico.
The LFW evening closed with the exquisite designs of Benito Santos who has dressed the first Lady of Mexico. He is considered by many fashion experts to be one of the best designers in Mexico. On Friday, LFW also hosted #FashionFriday, an event for the Sophisticate (women 35 plus), a “Tea with a Latin Twist” including tea, Korbel Mimosas, served with churros and empanadas, and featuring informal modeling that opened way for fabulous shopping, and proceeded in the evening will with a high fashion runway.
Monica Sinice, founder of Monique Boutique fashion, was one of the top designers featured during the opening night of LFW. Her unique, flowless designs inspired and wowed the audience but what was more expiring was her story. She came to the US two years ago from Lithuania to make her dream come true, the dream to open her pwn fashion store that features Lithuanian designers and she did it. Her advice," More work, less drama. If you believe in yourself, you can do it."
During LFW, Chevrolet and Latino Fashion Week also announced the opportunity for the guests to win a $1,000 shopping spree. This year’s contest winner was fueled with the amount of attention that their Instagram account received. During the event, an artwork was featured from Black Couch by local artist Mark Narens and from Mexico, an art exhibit featuring some of the top artists from Guadalajara.
LFW officially introduced the TUVida APP to Chicago, available on iOS and Android. “We encourage everyone to download this app so that you can watch our runways shows, interviews, behind the scenes, and for the audience to see themselves as they have a LFW, a truly Latino Experience,” urged Co-Founders, Arabel Alva Rosales and Cesar Rolon.
TuVida is a fun and engaging new app that connects Latinos with Latinos, providing valuable information for everyday living. Created by Latinos and Latin culture aficionados, Tu Vida is designed in an “ask-and-answer” format so that all users can share their wisdom, resources, and experiences with each other.
“We are looking forward to continuing to shape the future of fashion,” said Co-founders Arabel Alva Rosales & Cesar Rolon. And they invite you to “Join the Movement.”
