After last year’s New York Fashion Week (NYFW) shows had either been canceled or replaced with virtual viewings, the famed NYFW eagerly awaits a live audience return in September. Fashion houses will debut their collections with a handful of Latinx designers who are amongst the officially scheduled brands to showcase their Spring/Summer 2022 collections, including Elena Velez, Willy Chavarria, and Gabriela Hearst. A growing number of Latinx designers who are innovating future-forward textiles, brands, and designs are highlighting fashion’s versatility as more than just what you wear— it’s an all-encompassing lifestyle.
Much of that lifestyle has advocated for more conscious sustainability practices for the production of the garments, illustrated by New York-based Menswear designer Carlos Campos. Inspired by the shape and performance of the new sleek Toyota GR Supra, the Honduran-born designer conceptualizes a stylistic Atelier Nopalli to create accessories for men with a new eco-friendly leather made from the Nopal cactus.
The textile known as Desserto, was invented by Mexican creators Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez.
Leather, normally made from cow-hide, requires hundreds of gallons of water for production and uses toxic dye pollutants. Desserto provides an alternative organic solution for fashioning a multi-use natural leather that’s a non-pollutant, vegan, and biodegradable resource for the fashion and automotive industry.
In Atelier Nopalli, Campos’ incorporates line and shape details that reflect Toyota GR Supra’s sporty-mod design to build his cactus leather-sourced accessories for peak luxury style. Campos reimagines the fashion design process by utilizing the cactus green color palette to create a stand-out on-the-go pantsuit statement that feels refreshing and distinctive. It’s all accented by a buttery rich Nopalli leather shoulder bag and solid black with white trim Nopalli leather driving glove accessories that mold seamlessly with the garment for ease of mobility. Atelier Nopalli conveys quality, power, and movement with fashion synonymous with the car’s performance that inspired its look.
Check out the making of this look, below:
