Latin designers have quickly taken the fashion industry by storm. Designers such as Gabriela Hearst and Silvia Tcherassi have reached their ultimate dreams of showcasing their designs on the catwalks of Milan and Paris Fashion Week. While being spotlighted at the fashion capitals of the world is a huge win for the Latinx community, there is still so much untapped talent waiting to be discovered. That is until now! One Latina-owned company is creating a space where U.S. consumers can discover the naturalistic patterns and stylized motifs of emerging Latinx fashion designers. Karina Rosendo created Miami-based company Stitch Lab as a launching pad for new Latin designers to reach the U.S. market.

Our main mission is to help Latin American brands get exposure and to cross over to the United States.

Karina Rosendo, Founder of Stitch lab

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Every year Stitch Lab hosts a pop-up event where attendees can shop and learn about new brands from countries like Colombia, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, and more. Like many events scheduled last year, the spread of coronavirus led to the cancelation of their 2020 pop-up. This inspired founder Rosendo to take matters into her own hands and help spread awareness about these talents in other ways. “Our main mission is to help Latin American brands get exposure and to cross over to the United States. When Covid hit and canceled our event, we started thinking as a team about what can we do in order to keep our project going forward during these difficult times. That’s when we decided to create the online marketplace,” the Latina entrepreneur shared.

With the support of brands that were scheduled to be present at the physical pop-up, Rosendo was able to get the online shop up in just two months. “We became a channel for these brands to sell their stuff to consumers in the US and they ship out the pieces directly from their countries,” she added. Currently, you can find an array of accessories, clothing, swimwear, and resort wear. Best of all, Stitch Lab offers free shipping on every order done in the U.S.

Despite seeing huge success since going digital, Rosendo is excited to bring Stitch Lab’s pop-up to Miami this year. Following all the COVID-19 protocols, Stitch Lab is hosting its highly-anticipated event at Miami Design District’s Moore Elastika Building from April 29th through May 2nd. Attendees must adhere to safety measures which include temperature checks, mandatory masks, limited time in the space, and sanitation areas. Over 40 designers will be present in the three-floor pop-up that will highlight the usual pieces and will have a strong focus on sustainability. “These Latin designers have started to experiment with different types of fabrics that are more organic. They recycle a lot and use stamping techniques that are friendlier to the environment,” Rosendo shared, adding, “Their collections are more timeless, as they don’t focus on mass-producing products.”

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While Rosendo doesn’t have a favorite brand and admits she loves them all equally, she’s excited for attendees to shop for some closet must-haves that will last for years. “I remember when I would go into my grandma’s closet and I would play with her handbags and clothing. After she died, I inherited many of these things. I look back and say, ‘Oh my god! What am I leaving my kids?’ After all, some of these fast fashion clothing last no more than a few wears. The designers we feature on Stitch Lab create investment pieces. You buy them, you enjoy them and keep them for years, and then you can pass them down to family,” she expressed.

Stitch Lab’s pop-up will be held from April 29th through May 2nd at the Moore Elastika Building in Miami’s design district. Admission is free, however, if you can’t attend the event, you can shop amazing pieces from Latin designers at www.StitchLabMiami.com.