Ten Years of Reinvesting in the Future of Latin American Fashion
Translated by: Miguel Martinez, Written by: Vanessa Ramirez
In a global industry historically dominated by fast consumption and mass production, Universo MOLA has established itself as one of the most influential international sustainable fashion movements in Latin America. As it marks its first decade with the campaign "América Latina pa’l Mundo: 10 años diseñando lo que siempre fuimos"(Latin America to the World: 10 Years Designing What We Have Always Been), The movement not only celebrates a journey of resilience and creativity but also reaffirms the transformative impact of its work alongside the Fundación Entre Soles y Lunas.
Universo MOLA was not born on traditional catwalks; it emerged as one of the flagship programmes of the Fundación Entre Soles y Lunas, an organisation that has spent the past 20 years promoting social development, preserving cultural heritage and supporting human mobility. The programme redefined the concept of fashion in the region by moving it away from trivial consumption and transforming it into a tool for territorial development and social justice. Likewise, the collaboration between both organisations has helped consolidate a cross-cutting vision based on comprehensive sustainability, heritage preservation, social cohesion and inclusion.
“We do not conceive of fashion as a mere aesthetic exercise or as an ephemeral product. At the Entre Soles y Lunas Foundation, we understand that every textile and every garment carries the identity, history and economic sustainability of our indigenous communities and local entrepreneurs,” highlights Doris Helena Rojas, Founder and Director of the ESL Foundation.
Thanks to the technical, institutional, and operational support of Entre Soles y Lunas, Universo MOLA has consolidated several strategic initiatives that span the entire Latin American textile value chain.
With its flagship headquarters in Punta del Este, Uruguay, Universo MOLA Fashion Week, has positioned itself as the region's only sustainable fashion week and the first globally to measure and incorporate emotional sustainability into its catwalks and behind-the-scenes activities. Meanwhile, MOLA Fashion Day encompasses a touring programme of training and selection events that travels across different Latin American capitals and cities, including Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Santiago, and Montevideo, among others. Its aim is to map local talent, train entrepreneurs in sustainable business models, and identify high-impact brands that can receive scholarships and gain international exposure through the Fashion Week.
MOLA Hub, meanwhile, serves as a permanent support network, consultancy service, and business directory. It operates as a continuous networking platform that directly connects creatives and small brands with suppliers of certified materials, including organic textiles, botanical dyes and upcycled materials, as well as impact investors, distributors and buyers from ethical markets.
In the academic sphere, MOLA Educa has become the movement's academic, educational, and research arm. Developed through a technical partnership with the Entre Soles y Lunas Foundation and international educational institutions, its purpose is to bridge the information gap surrounding sustainability and provide training for every link in the textile value chain.
To mark this ten-year milestone, Universo MOLA presented an ethical ten-point manifesto that will guide the movement's future. Based on values such as Latin American pride, regeneration, transparency, inclusion and mutual care, the manifesto invites the global industry to look towards the Global South.
Celebrating this first decade demonstrates that Latin American fashion possesses the talent and identity needed to lead a global transformation, placing ethics and heritage at the heart of creation.
