The 7th edition of the Latin American Fashion Summit (LAFS) took place November 2–4, 2025, at The Moore Building in the Miami Design District.
Recognized as the leading platform accelerating Latin American fashion, wellness, and lifestyle brands, LAFS brought together designers, founders, retailers, media, and industry leaders for three days of curated programming and global visibility. The event also featured its signature “Pitch to LAFS” initiative, where emerging brands presented their business plans and concepts to C-suite executives and key decision-makers from some of the fashion industry’s most influential companies.
Latin American Fashion Summit (LAFS), the global platform championing Latin American fashion and design, returned to the Miami Design District from November 2 – 4 for its strongest edition to date. Founded by Estefanía Lacayo and Samantha Tams, the female-led summit was once again hosted at The Moore Building, convening leading retailers, buyers, editors, and founders from around the world.
This year’s program explored the future of fashion through the lens of cross-border retail, AI, sustainability, wellness, and brand storytelling. Speakers and partners included executives from Moda Operandi, Shopbop, Revolve, Nordstrom, The Webster, and Kering, alongside emerging and established talent from across Latin America.
Over the three days, attendees engaged in dynamic programming including ‘Monetize Your Influence’ led by Tiffany Lopinsky of ShopMy; ‘Building the Dream Brand’ featuring April Henning, President of Moda Operandi alongside fashion designer Jonathan Simkhai, and ‘Rethinking Leadership’ with Eva Hughes; “The Legacy of Naeem Khan” with fashion designer Naeem Khan and a keynote‐style discussion with Craig Robins of Dacra on the future of creative districts and brand ecosystems.
Expanding LAFS creative partnerships, Disney held its panel on how the brand expands its reach in Latin America through unique storytelling in collaboration with various fashion designers, a student meet-and-greet for local emerging talent, and a museum-style exhibition that offered an immersive look into the brand’s world-building, creativity, and influence across generations. Zacapa Rum also joined as an official partner, providing drinks throughout the summit – reinforcing the platform’s goal to unite luxury and culture across the region. The partnership underscored Zacapa’s commitment to supporting Latin American talent.
LAFS also placed a strong emphasis on wellness, beauty, and longevity with Natura Bissé, one of the summit’s leading sponsors, the Spanish beauty brand curated a series of exclusive masterclasses and treatments designed to elevate the experience beyond fashion and highlight the importance of self-care and wellbeing within the creative community.
“LAFS Miami 2025 exceeded all of our expectations. The energy, creativity, and sense of community that filled every space was truly inspiring. It’s a privilege to witness how Latin American talent continues to shape the global conversation in fashion, business, and culture. This edition reminded us of the power of connection and why we do what we do.” remarked Samantha Tams, Co-Founder, LAFS
The Pitch to LAFS competition brought emerging brands before an esteemed panel of industry judges at Mr. C Coconut Grove, and culminated in the recognition of three standout recipients in the categories of Designer of the Year, Accessories Designer of the Year, and Social Impact Project of the Year. Each winner received an educational program with industry mentorship, a prestigious $10,000 seeding grant, a booth at the upcoming edition of Coterie – leading industry tradeshow, along with a trunk show with Moda Operandi and a six-month premium package together with ShopMy.
Winners of Pitch to LAFS:
- Designer of the Year: Weise from Bolivia
- Accessories Designer of the Year: La Torres from Argentina
- Social Impact Project of the Year: Supernaturae from Mexico
“I am incredibly proud of what we achieved with LAFS 2025. This year truly showed the power of community — what can happen when we bring people together with intention. From the workshops and breakout sessions to the panels and the pop-up, you could feel the energy, the collaboration, and the generosity in the room. LAFS has always been about building bridges, creating opportunities, and expanding our collective impact — and this year was a beautiful reminder of that.” shared, Estefanía Lacayo, Co-Founder, LAFS
Open to the public, was the annually-anticipated and curated, LAFS Pop-Up which showcased over 35 Latin American brands, giving designers direct access to consumers and industry attendees. Participating brands included Hijas de Puka, Zhadere, Nerea, Port de Bras, Pierinna Feoli, Zut, Beneai, Vaza, Natalia Blanco, SHE by Ines Sheero, La Nadia Jewelry, Oiio, Curatoria, Studio Conchita, We Shop U, Indigo, Divlos, Liliana Meza, Kvika, Granado, Pitusa, Zingara, Sitka Semsch, Huaman Autor, Olga Fisch, Supernaturae, La Torres, Vicson, Isidora Malva, Adriana Fernandez, Weise, Renata Lozano, Casa Azucena and Pampa.
The 2025 sponsors and partners included: Miami Design District, The Moore Miami, Zacapa, Natura Bissé, Disney, Kering, Granado, ShopMy, BLACKLANE, Foundrae, Maison Perrier, Mr. C Hotels, Istituto Marangoni, WGSN, Zingara, RockOrange, Shelborne By Proper, Sonno, Moncho Moreno, Moxy Wynwood, and SER.
LAFS DAY 1
LAFS opened with the official Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at Paradise Plaza, led by Co-Founders Estefania Lacayo and Samantha Tams, joined by LAFS Ambassadors Melissa Macchiavello, Anggie Bryan, Danie Gomez Ortigoza, Ines Sheero and Rebeca Rodriguez Mora. The ceremony was followed by the opening of the LAFS Pop-Up and the Day 1 programming of Fireside Chats, Workshops and Breakout Sessions. Day 1 programming featured panels and workshops spanning wellness, innovation, and business strategy and sessions with buyers from Shopbop.
Highlights included:
- “What Every Woman Needs to Know About Wellness Today” with Dr. Jila Senemar, MD, FACOG, Anastasia Khodzaheva, Co-Founder and CEO of Young Goose,
- “Aesthetic Treatments Fading & Emerging with The Beauty Broker” with Melinda Anna Farina, The Beauty Broker
- “A Talk With a Shopbop Buyer” with Lucila Tijman, Pricepoint Apparel Buyer for Shopbop
- “Future Consumer 2027 – Powered by WGSN” with Christian Acquista, Business Development Manager at WGSN
- “What it Takes to Win the Wholesale Game” with Elizabeth von der Goltz, Founding Board Member at RAISEfashion and Marie Ivanoff-Smith, Women’s Fashion Director at Nordstrom and Jen Daft, GMM at Shopbop
- “Opportunities in Hospitality for Fashion and Beauty” with Mario Del Duca, Managing Director at NUBA and Paula Cerrillo, Director of Development, the Caribbean Region at Marriott International and Ramya Giangola, Founder of Gogoluxe
- “Prompting the Future of Fashion with Gen AI by Maison Meta” with Cyril Foiret, Founder and Creative Director at Maison Meta and Camila Galfione, Head of Content at LAFS
- “The Go-To-Market Toolkit” with Andres Otalora, Founder & Creative Director, Olivia Dobson, Founder at ODD Agency and Jose Arthur Alves, Commercial Director at ODD Agency.
- “La Formula de la Longevidad Estetica” with Patricia Fisas, Senior VP Research and Innovation of Natura Bissé, Mariela Cogorno, Aesthetic Medical Surgeon and Irene Sanchez, Reporter
Business and retail insights came to life in “A Talk with a Shopbop Buyer” and “Building & Scaling a Business” with Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Co-Founder of Glamsquad and Gilt. Networking sessions throughout the day fostered connection and collaboration among founders, creatives, and industry leaders – setting a strong foundation for the days ahead.
Attendees then celebrated the closing of Day 1 at the LAFS Pop-Up Happy Hour, enjoying drinks by LALO Tequila, Maison Perrier, and Bacan Guaro, creating the perfect energy to cap off an inspiring first day.
LAFS DAY 2
Day 2 of LAFS continued with another exceptional lineup of panels and discussions focused on creativity, storytelling, and industry innovation across Latin America. Highlights included:
- “Ask The Buyers with Moda Operandi, Nordstrom and Baobab” by Rizka Rivianti, Resortwear, Denim and Ski Buyer at Moda Operandi and Laura Karlin, Advanced Contemporary Buyer at Nordstrom, and Isabella Espinosa, Founder of Baobab
- “Monetize Your Influence with ShopMy”, by Carly-Rae Pavillard, VP of Business Developments and Partnerships at ShopMy
- “Telling Stories Through Fashion with Disney,” with Renata Navarro, Director of Marketing & Games for Disney Consumer Products at the Walt Disney Company Latin America, Daniel Herranz, Creative Director of Volvo Fashion Week Mexico And Founder of Zurce, and Gracinha Cabrera, Founder of BChy.
- “Discovery, Disruption & Future Development” with Craig Robins, CEO at Dacra, Chairman and Co-Founder at Design Miami & Art, Harmony Korine, Multi-Disciplinary Artist and Karla Martinez de Salas, Head of Content at VOGUE Mexico and Latinamerica.
Granado Rio de Janeiro hosted a private media luncheon, offering a deep dive into the brand’s latest fragrance collections, while SER welcomed top retailers and tastemakers for a curated lunch experience celebrating the brand’s unique style, and industry connections. Foundrae hosted an invite-only shopping event at its store in The Moore Building, where guests enjoyed the brand’s amazing in-store experience.
Workshops and breakout sessions throughout the day provided actionable insights into brand building, retail strategy, and creative innovation, encouraging collaboration among tastemakers in the industry. These sessions sparked new opportunities across the Latin American fashion landscape.
The day concluded with the LAFS Pop-Up Happy Hour, where attendees connected over drinks from LALO Tequila, Maison Perrier, and Bacan Guaro, bringing a vibrant close to an inspiring lineup of panels and networking.
The evening continued on the Moore Building Rooftop, where Natura Bissé hosted a special cocktail event celebrating its partnership with LAFS, featuring immersive activations, exclusive skincare samples, and a festive atmosphere that carried the momentum well into the night.
LAFS DAY 3
The final day of LAFS welcomed this year’s new lineup of designers and brands at Pitch to LAFS at Mr. C Coconut Grove. Pitch to LAFS is Latin American Fashion Summit’s flagship brand competition dedicated to identifying and jumpstarting the region’s emerging brands. Created as a platform for discovery, it allows designers and entrepreneurs to present their concepts to a jury of leading C-suite executive and industry experts.
Over the years, Pitch to LAFS helped launch some of the region’s most exciting fashion names, including Baobab, Studio Conchita, and Curatoria, enabling participants to secure international distribution, high-profile collaborations, and significant business growth. The program continues to serve as a key media touchpoint at LAFS, offering exclusive access to the next wave of Latin American talent and the stories shaping the region’s creative landscape.
The final day agenda of events at the Moore ended LAFS with another impactful lineup of panels, networking sessions and more, such as:
- “Innovation in Fashion’s New Paradigm” with Tiffany Lopinsky, Co-Founder and President at ShopMy and John Howard, Co-Founder and CEO of Croissant.
- “Building Your Brand Strategy with Camila Straschnoy” with Camila Straschnoy, Partner and Senior Strategy Director at Untold – Founder at Inquire Studio and the Mate House
- “The Creator Mindset” panel with Valeria and Gary Lipovetsky, Co-Founders at Valeria, Inc.
- “The Legacy of Naeem Khan” with Naeem Khan, Fashion Designer and Hassan Pierre, Editor-at-Large at ELLE Europe
- “Building The Dream Brand” with April Henning, President at Moda Operandi and Jonathan Simkhai, Founder and Creative Director at SIMKHAI
The 2025 edition of LAFS concluded with a closing ceremony at Temple House Miami Beach to announce the winners of the Pitch to LAFS competition – Ready-to-Wear Brand Winner: Weise Atelier from Bolivia; Social Impact Project of the Year Winner: Supernaturae from Mexico; and Accessories Designer of the Year: La Torres from Argentina. For the first time, LAFS, in partnership with Isabella Espinoza, Founder of BAOBAB, brought the Cascade Challenge from Latin America, honoring the award to Alquimia from Colombia, and last but not least, the Visionary Award of the Year which was awarded to Patricia Bonaldi, Founder and Creative Director of PatBo, chosen by Zacapa Rum – as well as to toast to yet another successful edition of LAFS.
About Latin American Fashion Summit:
Founded in 2018 by Estefanía Lacayo and Samantha Tams, Latin American Fashion Summit (LAFS) has evolved from a boutique gathering into the definitive global gateway for Latin American fashion. Today, LAFS stands as a deal-driven ecosystem that accelerates the growth of creative businesses through its annual summit, the Pitch to LAFS competition, curated retail pop-ups, strategic partnerships, mentorship, and educational programming. Rooted in community and fueled by innovation, LAFS continues to expand its reach across the Americas and beyond, building bridges that not only spotlight Latin heritage and craftsmanship but also create lasting business outcomes that define the future of fashion.
Follow Latin American Fashion Summit on Instagram at @latinamericanfashionsummit, visit its website at www.lafs.com
