Seven Mexican women-led design brands unite in Paris as Erika Alvarez puts a new generation of Mexican creativity on the global stage

Seven Mexican women-led fashion and design brands have come together in Paris as part of a creative initiative celebrating contemporary Mexican design, craftsmanship and cultural exchange.

Hosted by Mexican designer and multidisciplinary artist Erika Alvarez through her creative platform KOUA, in collaboration with Mexican fashion communication platform M de Moda, the project aims to introduce a new generation of Mexican female designers to an international audience.

The initiative launched on 4 October at KOUA, 11 Rue Gustave Courbet, 75116 Paris, bringing together fashion, jewellery, footwear and accessories alongside workshops and opportunities for creative collaboration.

For Alvarez, who previously lived and worked in London and Mexico before relocating to Paris, the project represents an opportunity to increase the visibility of Mexican women working across the creative industries.

“For me, it was particularly important to create a space where the work of fellow Mexican women in the creative industries could gain greater visibility in Paris, while also encouraging dialogue, exchange and collaboration,” said Alvarez.

M de Moda coordinated the participation of the seven designers and brands, while Alvarez hosted the project through KOUA, helping to develop its creative direction and cultural programme.

Seven Mexican brands showcasing contemporary design

The participating brands represent different regions of Mexico and demonstrate the diversity of the country's contemporary creative industry.

Gabriela Sánchez, from Guadalajara, Jalisco, creates luxury artisanal jewellery inspired by traditional Mexican craftsmanship, while Mexico City-based Regina Dondé produces contemporary ready-to-wear womenswear.

Ximena Corcuera explores the relationship between conceptual fashion, art and sustainability, while Menos 117, also based in Mexico City, focuses on responsible fashion and contemporary design.

Footwear brand Off the Book represents Guanajuato, a Mexican region known for its longstanding leatherworking and shoemaking traditions.

Bere Flores / Berry Funky Mind, from Nuevo León, brings a colourful and expressive approach to fashion, while Río de Hilares, based in Jalisco, creates bags and accessories in collaboration with Indigenous communities across Mexico, blending traditional techniques with modern design.

The opening event also featured hibiscus mezcal cocktails from Mezcal 41 Almas, introducing guests to another aspect of Mexican culture.

Beyond the exhibition, the programme included a styling workshop hosted by Styling Inc., a creative partnership founded by two Mexican women, and a textile dyeing workshop led by Florilegium.

These activities allowed visitors to engage directly with the creative processes, materials and techniques used by designers.

Bringing Mexican craftsmanship to an international audience

Alvarez believes Mexican fashion is undergoing an important period of development, with emerging designers combining traditional techniques with new artistic approaches.

“Mexico has an extraordinary heritage of textiles, craftsmanship and regional techniques, but what interests me most today is that a new generation of Mexican creatives is not simply reproducing tradition,” she said.

“We are reinterpreting it through contemporary perspectives, combining heritage with art, experimentation, sustainability and new ways of understanding identity.

“What excites me most is the possibility of presenting Mexico not as a fixed aesthetic or an image from the past, but as a living and evolving creative culture.”

The Paris initiative reflects a growing interest in the relationship between traditional craftsmanship, sustainable production and contemporary fashion.

It also creates opportunities for designers from different regions of Mexico to reach international audiences and explore potential partnerships.

From Mexico City to London and Paris

Born and raised in Mexico City, Erika Alvarez initially pursued a corporate career before deciding to follow her interest in fashion and the arts.

In 2012, she relocated to London, where she completed a Master's degree in International Fashion Marketing at the British School of Fashion.

During her time in the UK, she launched two collections and worked with brands promoting Mexican arts and crafts across Britain and Europe.

The pandemic marked a turning point in her career. Following a year of lockdown in London, Alvarez returned to Mexico, where she re-established relationships with Indigenous communities and began developing the first samples for what would become KOUA Studio.

She subsequently completed the Women Leading Change: Shaping Our Future programme at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, strengthening her focus on ethical production, circular practices and opportunities for women in creative industries.

Alvarez has since established herself in Paris, where she presented her first collection in 2025.

Her Paris premises now serve as a space for fashion collections, exhibitions, workshops and creative collaborations.

“Opening my space in Paris has marked an important shift in my creative practice,” she said.

“I see it less as a traditional boutique and more as my creative home, a place where collections, collaborations, workshops and cultural projects can coexist.”

Future collaborations between Mexico and France

Looking ahead, Alvarez plans to present her next collection outside the traditional Fashion Week format, with greater emphasis on storytelling, cultural exchange and the experience surrounding the designs.

She is also exploring ways to bring Mexican textile traditions and French craftsmanship together, including potential collaborations with French ateliers, artisans and artists.

“For me, the most exciting direction is not simply to reproduce one cultural language, but to explore what can emerge when different traditions, materials, techniques and perspectives meet,” she said.

Through KOUA, Alvarez hopes to continue creating opportunities for Mexican women designers to introduce their work to new audiences and build relationships within the international fashion and creative industries.

The Paris initiative marks another step in that journey, bringing together seven distinct Mexican brands while encouraging a wider conversation about creativity, cultural heritage and contemporary design.

About KOUA

KOUA is a creative platform founded by Mexican designer and multidisciplinary artist Erika Alvarez. Based in Paris, it explores the relationship between fashion, art, craftsmanship and cultural identity through collections, collaborations, workshops and creative projects.

About M de Moda

M de Moda is a Mexican fashion communication platform supporting the visibility and development of Mexican designers and creative brands. For the Paris initiative, M de Moda coordinated the participation of the seven featured brands.