It was the tenacity of Alicia Mejía, Roque Ospina and Clara Echeverry, who, at the helm of Inexmoda – more than three decades ago – were looking for a way to boost the fashion industry in the city, that gave birth to Colombiamoda.

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In this first edition, there were about 90 exhibitors and their slogan was “Colombiamoda is your fair, if fashion is your job.” The idea was to present to the country the collections that designers and clothing manufacturers are preparing to close the year. “It was conceived as an exhibition specialized in casual, interior, sports, bath and home textile products. It was the only fashion fair in the country and its high positioning transformed it into the Fashion Week of Colombia,” says the magazine Inexmoda.

From that moment until today, the event has not only experienced exponential growth in terms of the number of exhibitors, buyers and activities, but has also had to overcome critical moments such as the atmosphere of violence that the city experienced in the early 90s or the full promotion of economic opening also during this decade. Colombiamoda has been, without a doubt, a beacon for the national industry.

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“Colombiamoda has continuously evolved according to economic, political, social and cultural realities, becoming an epicenter of connection that energizes the industry and exalts our competitive advantages in the world,” says the current executive president of Inexmoda, Sebastián Díez.

Tonight the curtain rises with the inaugural fashion show of A New Cross, but tomorrow the doors of the Plaza Mayor exhibition centre will open to move companies, see the creative proposals of designers and show that this industry is more alive than ever. Find below the milestones that have marked these 35 years of the fair.

Oscar de la Renta’s visit in 1999

In 1999, Colombia and Medellín were going through a complicated period in terms of public order. In this context, it was very difficult for important personalities to visit the country. Inexmoda’s guidelines set themselves the goal of finding a world-class personality and bringing him to the fair. They managed to convince none other than Óscar de la Renta. And his participation in Colombiamoda paved the way for what followed. De la Renta returned to the fair in 2000 with a collection from the house of Pierre Balmain.

Carolina Herrera arrived in 2007

It was not easy to convince Carolina Herrera to come to the fair either, but the fact that Oscar de la Renta, Agatha Ruíz de la Prada, Brian Reyes and Loewe had already passed through gave an air of tranquility to the Venezuelan. Already at the fair she became an ambassador of Latin American fashion, Colombiamoda closed that year with her Orbitel catwalk (next to Isabel Henao) and with her presence and elegance she gave a lot to Colombiamoda.

Haider Ackermann and his visit in 2013

The Colombian-French designer was the international quota of Colombiamoda in 2013 as responsible for the opening podium of the fair and with this visit Inexmoda celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Other unforgettable stages

In addition to the visits of designers Ronaldo Fraga in 2009 and Kenzo Takada (in the photo) in 2019, it is worth highlighting in this story the arrival, in 2004, of the president of the Maison Balmain, Alain Hivelin; the signing, in 2009, of the Medellín – Milan Moda agreement and the promotion of Colombian designers that the fair has ensured since its creation, for example, in 1990, it was the first fashion show of Silvia Tcherassi in the country, within the framework of Colombiamoda.