MIAMI – An annual shopping experience that allows Latin American fashion designers to showcase their latest designs returns to South Florida for its seventh year.
It’s called Stitch Lab, and it’s taking over the Paradise Plaza in Miami’s Design District.
The fashion incubator has brought exposure to hundreds of designers from all across Latin America to the U.S.
Local 10′s Alexis Frazier spoke with two designers who have a storefront in Surfside and will be featured at Stitch Lab this year.
Their creations are made from organic fibers and can take you from the beach to the bar.
“I’m very proud of this dress. I feel like dresses are having a moment right now,” designer Sigal Cohen said as she showed Frazier one of her pieces.
And so are the more than 40 designers who are having their work showcased at Stitch Lab this weekend.
The three-day pop-up is free to the public and features the latest works of notable Latin designers, like Cohen -- the creative mastermind behind the Miami- based resort wear brand Sigál.
“I get inspired by Miami, but my Latin roots and upbringing in Venezuela has a real deep impact in what I create -- from the colors to the prints, to the technique I use to create the textile,” she explained.
Cohen created every piece in her store.
Her prints are meticulously created from hand-painted watercolor and ink-based art.
Her clothes are made from organic fibers and sustainable, responsibly sourced materials, such as lotus fabric, 100% cotton, ecological viscose and recycled polyester (from recycled plastic bottles).
Each collection is launched when it is ready and takes roughly one year to create. All pieces are limited-edition, reinforcing the importance of thoughtful creation and consumption.
“I really wanted to have an artistic experience and for the customer to really have the feeling that they’re wearing a piece of art,” Cohen said. “That’s why you see ombres, these gradients and these lines that are completely washed on the edges.”
Cohen’s colorful store sits in Surfside.
“I love how you can wear the earrings and then an earcuff, it’s so cool. It makes a tropical look more edgy,” she said.
Cohen collaborates with other Latin designers, like Carolina Baena and her brand, Jetlag Mode.
“As a designer, I don’t like the regular stuff, the normal things. So I’m always looking for the unexpected shapes,” Baena said.
Jetlag Mode has a unique approach to accessories.
“As an industrial designer, I love materials, so I feel like that’s kind of one our appealers -- the way we mix colors, we mix materials, how unexpected it is to have something mixed with beads and gold,” Baena said.
“Her pieces really compliment the looks in my collection, so it’s a no brainer that we can work together,” Cohen added.
And that’s one of the reasons Stitch Lab was created -- to highlight the rich diversity of Latin American creativity.
“I did the first runway of my collection together with Stitch Lab last year,” Cohen said.
“The direct to consumer has been a journey for me. Having a space well curated like Stitch Lab made all the difference for me,” Baena added.
You can head out to the free pop up all weekend.
You’ll find it on the third floor of the Paradise Plaza in the Miami Design District.
Click here for more information.