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By Valentina Gamaleri Nazha Translated by Laura Caro Gamarra

Javiera Amengual: Rethinking Fashion Through Identity, Consumption and Culture y cultura

The founder of Franca analyses how trend saturation, the search for meaning, and Latin cultural richness are transforming the way people relate to fashion.

In this context, characterised by information overload, the fast-paced trend cycle, and the rising cost of living, more and more consumers are beginning to question how and why they buy clothes. For Javiera Amengualfounder of Franca Estudio, a fashion and sustainable communication consultancy, Franca Estudiothis moment reflects a transition towards more conscious and personal relationships with clothing.

Franca was founded nearly ten years ago in Chile as a sustainable fashion e-commerce. Over time, it evolved into a specialised magazine and later into Franca Estudio, a space dedicated to advising brands on communication and cultural relevance. This journey allowed Javiera the opportunity to see first-hand how conversations about fashion are evolving across Latin America.

“We have always been interested in understanding how sustainable fashion is experienced in our region, not just in replicating narratives from the Global North,”he explains.

When Trends Lead to Burnout
In recent years, social media has accelerated the circulation of trends to a pace that is difficult to keep up with. Constantly changing aesthetics have driven impulsive consumption, with fashion beginning to function as a series of temporary codes that users adopted and abandoned.

Javiera points out that this dynamic began to generate a clear sense of fatigue among both consumers and brands. “There was a moment when everything was ‘core’, as if there were a new aesthetic to follow every week,”she says. In this context, more people began a question where their identity fits within this dynamic.

The results have been a return to a more reflective relationship with clothing. For those seeking to step away from this fast-paced cycle, fashion is once again seen as a form of personal expression. “Clothing is a language,” Javiera explains. “It allows us to build identity and communicate who you are.”

Latin American Culture and Creativity
The debate on sustainability also raises a key question: how can we make conscious consumption accessible? For Javiera, this change does not depend solely on individual decisions, but also on structural changes within the industry.

At the same time, consumers are developing smarter strategies for shopping. Instead of buying lots of short-lived items of clothing, the aim is to choose more versatile or higher-quality pieces. “It’s about asking yourself which choice makes the most sense in your situation,”she says.

For Javiera, one of the great assets of Latin American fashion lies in its cultural diversity. Textile techniques, artisan knowledge, and local traditions form part of a creative heritage that is often not sufficiently recognised within the region itself.

“Sustainability does not happen in a vacuum”, she concludes. “It is always linked to a culture, a region, and the people who are part of that history.”.

 

Natalia, LaCirculander, explores new ways of building identity through fashion Translated by Laura Paipa

The relationship with fashion is undergoing a transformation driven by changes in how people consume it, where cultural identity is becoming more important than mere novelty. Natalia, a content creator from Cali and founder of Circulander, analyzes how these changes are reflected in the way people dress and understand fashion.

Cali is a Colombian city where culture deeply influences the way people dress. Natalia Salazar, known as LaCirculander, explains that local identity maintains a strong connection to its cultural history. Through her personal brand, she creates content on Instagram exploring the cultural diversity of Cali. “There is a shared identity among those of us who live here, one that is somewhat nostalgic for the 1970s, strongly influenced by the salsa music of our grandparents,” she says.

This reference is still present in the city’s collective imagination, although today it coexists with other forms of aesthetic expression. According to Natalia, the current landscape shows different ways of engaging with fashion. “Some people still dress from that nostalgic perspective, others combine this local identity with contemporary references, and there are also those who prefer to follow global trends.”

Fashion as a social language
In a digital environment where trends change rapidly, Natalia believes fashion also serves a social function: connecting people who share similar values and perspectives:

“Being part of a community that represents what you want to promote in your daily life is very important.”

From this perspective, clothing becomes a communication tool that expresses cultural and aesthetic affinities. The overwhelming amount of visual stimuli on social media also reshapes the consumption experience. “There are so many options and so much content that sometimes we don’t even know what to choose,”she explains.

Cultural diversity in Cali’s fashion
Fashion can also tell the story of a region’s cultural diversity. In Cali, different influences coexist, many of which are often left out of the city’s most common narrative. “There is a huge diversity that comes from the Pacific region, with cultures closely connected to the sea and rivers, as well as influences from other regions like Nariño.”

Understanding these roots requires approaching fashion with respect and research. According to Natalia, it’s not just about using cultural references but about truly understanding their origin and the people behind them.

Through her social media content, Natalia aims to bring these reflections into an everyday language. “Yo caleñizo las tendencias” (I give trends a 'Caleño' (from Cali) soul), she says. Instead of replicating typical internet formulas, she incorporates local expressions, such as “alistando la pinta pa’ jalir”. (Getting my look ready to head out.) In a distinctly Cali way.

For her, communicating in a relatable way helps open conversations about culture, identity, and consumption. Talking about fashion in a simple manner, she believes, can spark curiosity about the stories behind what we wear.