10 Must-Know Latin Brands Redefining Fashion

September 22, 2026 wpbackupsckb 15 Views 0 Comments

5 min read

Every month—but especially during Hispanic Heritage Month—ELLE editors take pride in highlighting the Latin brands and designers changing the game in fashion. There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when heritage meets talent, and nowhere is that more evident than in the current wave of Latin American design reshaping the global fashion conversation.

From the ateliers of Colombia to the studios of Mexico and Brazil, a new guard of brands and designers is proving that craftsmanship and boldness can certainly coexist.

These brands are largely built on stories — on abuelas’ embroidery techniques passed down through generations, on the saturated color palettes of hometowns, on silhouettes that carry both nostalgia and rebellion in the same seam. What unites them isn’t geography alone, but a shared fluency in contrast: opulence and ease, tradition and provocation, romance and edge.

This season, we’re spotlighting the names worth knowing now — the designers whose collections don’t just dress or accessorize, but rather tell a story through craftsmanship.

Fuentes Mier

A person holding a brown leather hat with circular eyelets while partially submerged in water.

Celebrating her Mexican heritage, Mariana Fuentes Mier creates supple leather goods, rebozo textiles, and sterling silver jewelry, all handmade by master artisans across Mexico. Originally from Puebla, Fuentes Mier moved to New York, where she gained experience working at The Row, Calvin Klein, and Tory Burch. Her designs are rooted in attitude and refined with an edge. Crafted in lambskin nappa leather, her thoughtfully unstructured handbags feature signature knottable handles for a look that’s entirely unique. “it’s functional in a very real way: A single knot gives you a shoulder bag; a shorter, more intricate one gives you a handbag for dinner,” says Fuentes Mier. “As you wear it, the leather softens and begins to mold to you—to how you carry it, to how you knot it. Over time, the bag becomes truly yours. A small but meaningful way of making something your own.”

Susana Vega

Wooden arm cuff with a metallic accent worn on a hand against a dark background.

For Susana Vega, jewelry making isn’t a craft, it’s inheritance. She grew up amid the glint of gems and gold in her family’s jewelry workshop in Tovar, Mérida, Venezuela, where the language of adornment was simply the language of home. In 2008, she launched her namesake brand in Venezuela. A decade later, in 2018, she relaunched it from the United States, carrying that legacy with her. Vega draws her inspiration from nature, from art, from the strength of Latin women, and it shows. Her designs are bold, sculptural, unapologetic—jewelry made not just to wear, but to be seen.

Renata Brenha

Model wearing a white dress with gathered detailing and black lace-up boots, standing against a plain background.

Renata Brenha carries Brazil in her core, even from London, where she now calls home. Her materials aren’t sourced so much as rediscovered: beach towels, tablecloths, curtains—the fabric of everyday domestic life, repurposed into something entirely new. She works by way of Gambiarra, the Brazilian ethos of inventive making-do, cutting, reworking, and reconstructing found textiles into garments that hold memory, tension, presence. In Brenha’s hands, the domestic and the popular are elevated into something refined, instinctive, and unmistakably her own.

Agua Bendita

Model wearing a patterned oversized shirt and matching bottoms, accessorized with earrings and bracelets, against a soft background.

Agua Bendita began the way the best stories do — with friendship. Catalina Álvarez and Mariana Hinestroza started by making swimwear for the people they loved, sewing for friends and family before the world ever knew the name. That intimacy grew into ambition: together, they built one of the first Colombian companies to export local fashion onto the global stage. Every print is handmade in-house, developed alongside skilled artisans, and it shows — the work is bold, colorful, made to be seen. Beneath the feminine silhouettes lies something more, a design language rooted in teamwork, authenticity, and two friends who built it together.

Cala de la Cruz

Model wearing a white dress with bold black and red floral designs against a dark background.

Born in Cali, Colombia, Cala de la Cruz is resortwear with a retro soul —timeless silhouettes fused with striking prints and graphic botanicals, bold in spirit but never fussy. Every style is made by small local businesses, a commitment to an ethical mindset that runs as deep as the brand’s aesthetic. At the helm, creative director Carolina Lopez brings an intuitive eye for color to silhouettes that are chic, sophisticated, and unmistakably wearable—designed for the everyday moments worth remembering.

Heirlome

A model wearing a black sleeveless top and a draped gray skirt, paired with heeled shoes and holding a clutch.

Heirlome exists in partnership — standing alongside Mexican and Latin American artisans, honoring techniques passed down through generations, imperfections and all. Every stroke, every irregularity, is not a flaw to smooth over but a signature to preserve. That artistry is woven into the brand’s modern vision, a collaboration built to empower the very communities that make it possible. The result isn’t just clothing — it’s wearable art, born of partnership.

Dezso by Sara Beltran

Sara Beltran was raised in the border town of El Paso, Texas — a place built on the meeting of two worlds, which may explain everything that came after. In 2006, she founded Dezso, a brand born from restless travel and a deep reverence for the ocean. Every piece is handmade, using precious and semiprecious materials Beltran selects herself, stone by stone. She works closely with Polki diamonds, crafting luxury pieces meant not for a season, but for a lifetime.

“My Mexico-India life represents my two worlds,” she writes on her website. “I am proud to be Mexican, but I wouldn’t be who I am without India.”

Prasi

At Prasi, Brazilian modernism meets timeless jewelry — pieces designed to hold emotion and be passed down through generations. The result is unmistakable: clean lines, architectural presence, art you can wear. Drawing from the furniture of 1960s and ’70s Brazil, each piece carries soft, rounded forms and sculptural curves. And in spirit, Prasi echoes the jewelry of that same era — more casual, less ornamental, worn as an extension of self rather than a display of status.

Michelle Del Rio

A woman with long red hair poses in a red top and black skirt against a construction backdrop.

The California-born, Paris-based brand began with a single skirt — the Soledad — and grew from there into a full collection.

Michelle Del Rio’s designs are feminine, standout silhouettes made to be worn and lived in. They carry California’s no-fuss attitude, giving each piece an effortless edge.

Silvia Tcherassi

Model wearing a coral dress with floral texture, holding a bright pink clutch, set against a plain white background.

Hailing from Colombia, Silvia Tcherassi’s namesake label reflects effortless sophistication and elegance. With every piece incredibly unique, there’s a level of wonder and awe found throughout her collections — from opulent accessories in striking colorways to elaborate clothing in unforgettable textures and silhouettes. Within her work are also bridal pieces for the elegant bride unafraid to embrace bold, unexpected details on her wedding day.

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