Laredo Fashion Week showcases an array work of by international designers

Three of the designers who stuck out the most were a designer who specialized in men’s clothing, a young sibling duo that recently began their company and a young woman trying to make sure people understand the beauty of a woman is showcased with the most minimal of designs.

Men’s clothing

Gabriel Honorato is the owner and fashion designer of HonoratoMX based in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Originally from Colima, Honorato moved to Guadalajara to study the marketing aspect of the industry when he actually began to develop his own styles and create his own collections.

“My collection is all very categorized of who I am, as you will see an array of jumpers and other models that are mostly monotype as many of my looks are solely of just one color,” Honorato said. “I like having a person in full red or in full black or yellow to showcase one strong color and with strong structure as well and just one solid color.

“Personally, what motivates me to do the designs that I do is to go see my materials and then begin to work with what I have. More than just the references I take as a designer, I like just seeing random materials and clothing pieces then visualizing what I can do with them, and I just like to create something of what I think still doesn’t exist and bring it to life in 3-D so others can enjoy it.”

As he began showcasing his clothing, Honorato was then called by a university in Guadalajara to teach fashion design classes while he has once again taken his love for the industry and developed new clothing lines for men.

He said although the pandemic did affect his business, he continued working with personal models and making clothes for individuals. That ultimately helped him make sure his business was thriving during such a hard time.

“My main focus is always men’s clothing and making sure that every piece I can make is suitable for any occasion or event and that they fit any type of model,” Honorato said. “The clothing is good for any special event or just any trip, and I also do personalize clothing for men as well. I just want them to be distinctive from the rest.”

The sibling duo

Some of the youngest fashion designers were a 22-year-old sister and a 25-year-old brother, as the siblings just about a year ago began venturing into the world of fashion design.

“All the clothing that we will showcase is made of 100% linen and all come in a variety of colors, and I believe that it adds a lot of life into the work that we do,” said Maribel Galvez, co-owner of Mayorca México.

Galvez said her creative ideas are developed from things she thinks about randomly on a daily basis.

“In a creative sense, what motivates me is simply spontaneous ideas,” Maribel said. “If there is something I like or begin to think about, I become obsessed with it until I bring it to life.”

Maribel’s brother, who is her associate, began to also get interested in the brand once he saw she had a lot of potential with her designs.

“Our company first started as I saw that my sister was designing, and I started to get involved and started helping her on the business side for the brand,” said David Galvez, the other co-owner of Mayorca México. “This is how we decided then to make … the brand a reality about a year ago and hope that it is the first year of many.

“We hope that we continue having these creative ideas to make the brand grow.”

Although it is common for siblings to fight, Maribel said it is always a “challenge” to work together, but she finds it works because they complement each other.

“All we have to do to get things right is to know what part is his duty and which is mine, and at the end having each other’s back is so much great help,” Maribel said. “In terms of the creative aspects, sometimes you get some fear on what you are doing, but having someone that supports you 100% on your side — no matter if it is a brother or just someone part of a team — is so important, as that knowledge that the other person has is something that you can use to further your business and ideas.”

Showcasing a woman’s beauty

Monica Armas — the owner of the company featuring her own name is based in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico — said she began to study industrial design when she suddenly became interested in the fashion industry later in life.

Armas is someone who likes to dress well and feels no woman can ever look ugly if she dresses well. In fact, she said all her designs are made under this philosophy.

“I am super minimalist when it comes to my styles, as I feel that women do not really need much in efforts to showcase their beauty,” Armas said. “Therefore, I dedicate myself to showcasing how they can look good with the most minimalist of styles.”

Armas said all of her collections are dedicated to fully using Mexican products and Mexican textiles, as she believes the cotton and linen that come from Mexico are some of the best in the world. She also said she likes how people outside of Mexico can also see how beautiful clothing can be created by only using 100% Mexican products.

Unlike most Mexican designers, she said she does not focus on the patriotic or historic side when using Mexican products but rather focuses on using the architecture, color and geography of Mexico as an inspiration.

The main detail in her clothing designs was an encapsulated scorpion in the belts of all her dresses, which she said goes to show the tradition being engraved in the dress while also showcasing modernity and simplicity with the new looks.

“A woman does not really need a lot in efforts to showcase her beauty, as a simple great cut, texture in clothing and a good face with confidence, not of beauty, then the woman can showcase fully who they are,” she said. “That alone makes any woman special.”

What fashion designers hoped to accomplish in Laredo

All the fashion designers said they hope the event allowed them to showcase their pieces, and many of them brought their work back to view as the pandemic affected greatly what they had to offer.

“This event really helped me once again showcase what I had been doing and bring it to light again,” Honorato said.

David Galvez said his main intention for being part of the fashion show was to “allow the brand to get to be known and for them to position themselves in the industry, and also network with other fashion designers and brands that they hope one day could maybe collaborate with them.” He said he did not see the conglomeration of so many designers as a competition but rather as a place to complement and work with each other, and hopes young fashion designers all come together to collaborate.

Armas simply wanted to show what Mexico is all about with her designs.

“I know there are a lot of Mexican people here in Laredo or Mexican-American, and I want to show them that as Mexicans living in Mexico we can transmit through clothing what is Mexico and what is living in the country through these designs,” Armas said.

The fashion show

The kickoff for Laredo Fashion Week was held on Friday, Aug. 19 before its Designers Fashion Show which was held on Aug. 20. The models who formed part of the show were from the Avanti Modeling School and Agency, while 13 international fashion designers presented their work showcasing their models as well. The 13 fashion designers are in town to present their newest collection on the runway.

There were three separate shows for the Saturday fashion show: the Kids Designers; Ready to Wear Designers and Haute Couture Designers fashion shows. Each show hosted separate designers per category and was separated by time slots.

Honorato’s work can be followed on Instagram via @HonoratoMx and on Pinterest via @Honorato and contacted by email at honoratomx@gmail.com. The Galvez’s brand Mayorca México can be found via Instagram at @Mayorca.Mx, and Armas can be followed on Instagram at @moarmas.