Weaving the Network that Sustains Change
Translated by: Miguel Martinez, Written by: Vanessa Ramirez
Behind every catwalk, every forum, and the network of designers that now spans Latin America lies an invisible network sustained by human decisions, conviction, and unwavering purpose. Universo MOLA, one of the programmes of Fundación Entre Soles y Lunas, was not born simply as a commercial showcase for sustainable fashion. Beyond that, it emerged as a collective response to a textile industry in urgent need of a new direction. Therefore, understanding the project’s impact today means looking back and getting to know the minds that lead this ecosystem.
This movement is fundamentally rooted in its fundamental pillar in the leadership vision of Valentina Suárez, Executive Director of Universo MOLA, and the institutional support of Doris Helena RojasPresident of the Fundación Entre Soles y Lunas.
“Latin America had far more to contribute to fashion than the world was prepared to recognise. If no one was building that space, perhaps it was up to us to build it. Ten years later, I look back and realise something: Universo MOLA was never only a sustainable fashion project. It was always a reason to connect people, open conversations, and show that Latin America can also innovate, lead, and propose solutions. Above all, it reminds us that we do not have to wait for someone else to give us a seat at the table.” Valentina Suárez says on her social media.
The Persistence That Transformed Fashion
In its early days, the team faced scepticism from a sector accustomed to fast-consumption models. Yet its determination to turn every idea into a project helped establish key initiatives such as Universo MOLA Fashion Week,academic learning spaces and strategic cross-sector partnerships.
The team’s daily work goes far beyond event management. It includes the rigorous search for and selection of brands, educational guidance for emerging designers, and the development of metrics to ensure that sustainability is not simply a marketing claim, but a transparent practice throughout the value chain.
Connecting Voices
We are stronger together. Over the years, the movement has benefited from the valuable participation of various influential voices in sustainability, whose contributions have been key to the expansion of Universo MOLA.
This growth is supported by the participation of figures such as Fedra Mauricci and Renata Correa. Under Suárez’s leadership, they promote institutional collaboration, enterprise development and the positioning of conscious fashion as a political act, in dialogue with international organisations including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and United Nations (UN).
This established foundation is joined by an ever-changing community of experts, educators and international ambassadors. Through specific contributions to initiatives such as Universo MOLA Fashion Week,voices including Giusy Bettoni, Cata Droguett and Brenda Scott, alongside many other partners who vary by edition, bring perspectives on textile innovation, communication and sustainable lifestyles. This plurality of perspectives keeps the movement vibrant, inclusive and constantly evolving.
The Source of Our Strength
Universo MOLA’s true driving force has never been fashion alone, but the untold stories that resonate in every corner of our region. It was born from a shared urgency not to remain passive observers of the planet’s destruction, and above all, from the deep conviction that Latin America deserved a space where ancestral knowledge, artisan hands, and creative minds would not need permission to transform the world.
Behind every leadership decision and every milestone achieved, the team keeps alive the same flame that inspired its first day: to break the isolation of ethical fashion designers and show that dressing consciously is an act of love for our land and ourselves. The fashion of the future will not be built on excessive consumption, but on community purpose. As long as there is a designer dreaming of positive impact, Universo MOLA will remain here, weaving the network that sustains that change.
