Three Colombian Women’s Brands That Should Definitely Be On Your Radar

Living in Miami, you get exposed to a lot of Colombian culture through the people who migrate here. While I haven’t been to the country yet, my friends who are from there or visit often have helped pique my interest in visiting very soon. One of the things I gravitate to (besides the impeccably designed swimwear) is Colombia’s fashion.

With warmer weather right around the corner and spring break in full swing, I thought it would be the ideal time to put together a few sustainable, women’s brands that I think will immerse wearers in the country’s rich history and diversity with colorful textiles, unique detailing, and one-of-a-kind patterns.

Especia

Especia is one of those brands that when you wear any the pieces you know that you will feel incredibly feminine. “Especia is a womenswear brand with an emphasis on modern romanticism and a sophisticated touch,” brand founder Luisa Nicholls tells me. “Every Especia piece offers a carefully crafted silhouette with unique prints & distinctive details that elevate the art of dressing for every occasion, because for us life is a special occasion. We believe spring exists everywhere, that is why our pieces are treasures that will be loved for years to come.”

Colombia’s vibrant ecosystem is the inspiration for all the designs. “Every element incorporated into our brand is inspired by Colombian biodiversity, especially flowers, our most significant source of creativity,” shares Nicholls. “Something about Especia is the passion for sharing with the world; we believe that spring exists everywhere; each flower is an inspiration, and they add magic to everything they touch; this is how we bring unique pieces that highlight the beauty of reality.”

All Especia pieces are designed, sampled, and ethically produced in Colombia. “The brand is always looking to appreciate artisanal know-how and handmade details to make each piece unique. We guarantee that our process is both ethical and conscious. Our materials are sourced mainly by Colombian producers, but we also explore new fabrics and techniques from countries like Portugal, Turkey, and India,” continues Nicholls.

“Our gorgeous pieces consciously honor our origins, so we are committed to sustainability,” responds Nicholls when I ask how the brand incorporates eco-friendly practices. “We prioritize natural fabrics, such as cotton and linen, fabrics derived directly from nature. These fabrics are better for the planet since producing them entails a lower environmental footprint than producing synthetic fabrics, and they’re usually more biodegradable as well. Besides, our printing techniques also reflect our deep love for the planet. We print our treasures pieces using a digital approach that saves water and reduces the overall environmental impact of our production process. Our production process is rigorously designed to give the maximum resources to the fabric. We believe in designing pieces that can be worn and loved for years because of their timeless style and excellent quality.”

Nicholls continues, “Regarding social matters, we care about the women’s empowerment and advancement in the workplace, that’s why 95% of our team are women; our garments are sown by loving hands making every detail essential, giving a little bit of soul and positive impact to every piece we make.” Nicholls tells me that moving forward they are working hard to grow the brand on the international stage. “Additionally, we are committed to the blooming of our social project and planting our seed to the world by supporting local flowers growers and their families, giving them back the joy that they bring to us with their work because flowers add that touch of magic to earth, giving us color to our lives.”

Guadalupe Design

Designed and founded in Colombia, Guadalupe Design has been on a mission to preserve the traditions and techniques of artisans all around the world, while simultaneously being environmentally conscious since its launch in 2011. “Through empowerment and creativity, the company promotes talent and dynamic vision in every aspect of production. Guadalupe Design pieces are timeless. Our flawless and effortless pieces never go out of style and are designed to be passed from one generation to the next,” brand founder, Daniela Garces tells me.

I wanted to know how Garces weaves her Colombian heritage into her designs to which she responds, “Colombia is a festive, colorful, and traditional society. Our heritage celebrates the festive, vibrant, and traditional culture of Colombia. We are blessed with luscious and varied geography and diversity of people that have melded to create a unique way of life in Colombia.”

Guadalupe Design produces their garments in India. When I ask her why she choose that country she explains, “We are in love with India and its traditional techniques, especially the block printing of fabrics and the handmade embroidery by our artisans. We want to help preserve traditional production techniques and grow with artisans by supporting the continuity of craft production.” The brand also makes many accessories including handbags in Colombia and all their hats are made in Ecuador.

Looking forward, Garces wants to work with artisans in Mexico and Peru to develop their fall collection as well as partnering with other Latin-American based designers for collaborations to strengthen the brand.

“We work together and support local artisans and producers in developing countries, always seeking to promote transparent communication, respectful and long-term relationships with our producers. We help scale their businesses; hand-by-hand we make a strong positive impact over these economies,” she explains. “It’s much more than crafts, is helping to preserve traditional techniques and supporting local communities. Advising them on design, nurturing talent and how to improve quality as well as promoting a healthy way of living, and fair wages. The use of natural fibers and low impact supplies is also one of our values. From silk to wool to cotton they conserve more natural resources like water rather than pesticides. We care about the environment and our partners thus we want to approach fashion in an ethical way.”

I love Guadalupe Design. Whenever I need to wear something that will make me stand out, yet be classic in style, I reach for the brand. The pieces are impeccably made, unique, and stand the test of time both from a stylistic standpoint as well as craftsmanship.

Aqua Bendita

Aqua Bendita is a swimwear and ready-to-wear brand devoted to the creation of handmade and embroidered pieces that was founded by friends, Mariana Hinestroza and Catalina Alvarez back in 2003. “Our illustrators and designers take inspiration from Colombia’s rich biodiversity and culture, creating unique pieces that our artisans then embellish with the ancestral embroidery technique, which is taught through generations,” explains Alvarez, “Our Artisans are located in the countryside of Medellín, working every day to create unique pieces.”

For their designs, the pair sources materials from all over the world. Alvarez tells me, “We choose the best quality fabrics from Turkey to Colombia for our handmade creation process, where our in-house artists create handmade illustrations that are then printed over these fabrics, which are finally transformed into art pieces by our artisans.”

Alvarez excitedly goes on to share all of the new things folks can expect from the brand. “Recently, we launched our new streetwear collection, Love Affair, and also new collaborations that we are sure everyone will be very excited about as we are at Agua Bendita. New product lines for our customers are also coming in the future, and we will be working with celebrity models for our campaigns. We can’t wait for everyone to see all the surprises Agua Bendita has for this year!”