Border Fashion Week reaffirms cultural and artistic exchange in Ambos Nogales

Versión en español

Ambos Nogales – For three days, the border between Mexico and the United States witnessed a runway of creativity, inclusion and boundless talent. The 13th edition of Border Fashion Week, with the theme "The Art of Fashion Without Borders," transformed the Museo de Arte de Nogales in Sonora and the Nogales Public Library in Arizona into venues for contemporary fashion, art and cultural expression, reaffirming that the border is more a meeting point than a dividing line.

Founded by Domingo Toledo, a native of Nogales, Sonora, who now lives in New York, Border Fashion Week began 13 years ago as a project to highlight the talent of Nogales and Sonora at New York Fashion Week, the artist said at the beginning of the event, which took place in early October.

Toledo, a member of Beyond Walls Fashion Collective — a collective of independent creatives and community members who are “working at the intersection of heritage, art, and decolonial practice” — said he saw a lot of talent in Nogales and Sonora that never found a way to grow. His goal was to take that talent further afield. Thus, the idea of ​​starting a collective and issuing a call for designers was born.

On the weekend of Oct. 2, Ambos Nogales vibrated to the rhythm of design and artistic expression, bringing Toledo’s decade-long vision to life once again.

The event began with a discussion and film screenings at the Museo de Arte de Nogales in Sonora, just steps from the border wall. In addition to Toledo, also present were fashion designer, stylist and celebrity dressmaker Raquelle Pedraza, originally from San Luis Potosí and based in New York; designer Alison Sotelo; model Osiris Rivera from the Fanny Chávez modeling agency and model Eduardo García, among others.

Sotelo shared that when she learned about the call for entries, she sent her information and proof of her work, and was later contacted to participate in New York, she said during the discussion.

The following evening, five runway shows were presented at the Nogales Public Library in Arizona, showcasing the binational nature of the event and its message of unity through art.

To conclude the three-day event, a fashion show and art exhibition took place on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Museo de Arte de Nogales in Sonora.

Shoes and candles were placed along the runway to represent the countless migrants who cross the Sonoran Desert from Mexico to the United States each year.

The special guest of the last night was Pedraza, a designer who has dressed celebrities such as Salma Hayek, Sonja Morgan, Naomi Watts and Kelly Clarkson, among others. Her presence symbolized how Mexican talent can conquer international runways without losing its essence.

Pedraza shared that she had always dreamed of living in New York. And she achieved it a year after visiting the city while on vacation. No dream is too small or too big when you set a goal, she told those present.

When she arrived in New York, she wondered how she would compete with people who had studied at the world's best universities, but decided to focus on her talents: the technical side, sewing and modeling. She dedicated herself to growing her strengths and that took her far, she shared.

For Pedraza, it has been essential to capture and maintain the mark of her Mexican roots while adapting to the trends in New York and elsewhere. However, she emphasized the importance of preserving her essence, as she noted in an interview with CALÓ News.

More than 300 guests attended the closing event, where they witnessed Pedraza's talent in a show that celebrated women who have crossed the border.

As the event drew to a close, Toledo thanked those who believed in his project, especially his mother, who was present. His voice broke and tears began to stream down his face before he walked over to where his mom was and hugged her.