GUIDO VERA

Guido Vera is a rising star in the fashion world. The Chilean designer with a passion for his cultural heritage and a commitment to sustainable fashion is on an upward trajectory. I met Guido Vera at Vancouver Fashion Week and his flair for fashion and charming persona were a winning combination. Vera was wearing one his creations a dark green vegan leather jacket; the fabric had the quality of leather while presenting its unique texture and finish. These sustainable fabrics are the future of fashion, and Guido Vera is on the cusp of this change.

In March 2018, he launched his homonymous project based in Santiago de Chile: Guido Vera, a genderless RTW and accessories brand. In May of the same year, Revista Paula did a double-page interview with his volume I. Vera was named by FORBES in 2020 as one of the 11 talents that are rewiring the sustainable fashion industry, highlighting the textile rescue, traditions and culture of Patagonia: excerpt from Vancouver Fashion Week Bio.

GUIDO VERA A REVIEW

The inspiration for Guido Vera's collection comes from his birthplace and home in Patagonia, the Southern corner of Chile. "My color palette and design come from nature and the culture of my country combined with an international vision". Guido Vera is passionate about his country, his design, and the materials he uses. " I source my materials from the Chilean textile rescue, which sources old fabric made in Chile; it is sustainable and eco-friendly." As well as using rescued fabrics, Vera uses animal-free materials a staple in the collection is vegan leather made from cactus.

The collection opens with a vibrant green vegan leather, 1970s-inspired jacket. Vera's color story comes from nature, greens, and blues are paired with neutrals. Patagonian flora, is reflected in the varied hues of green, and blues reflect the blues of water and skies. "The landscapes that I saw since a very young age, I can not see in other places, so that’s why I’m always reaching out and learning more about the place where I was raised," says Vera in a recent interview with Marilyn R. Wilson.

Color, texture and genderless silhouettes create a collection that is embracing diversity and inclusivity. Sustainable fashion comes with it's own attraction to generations where ecofriendly is second nature.

Photos are courtesy of Vancouver Fashion Week 

Photographer Arun Nevader

These clothes create a collection intended to be mixed and matched at will. Everyday pieces were minimal, unfussy, and easy to layer. The designer's choice of cactus vegan leather is a staple, used for blazers, jackets, and trousers. The sheen of vegan leather is juxtaposed with the matte finish of cotton pants and shirts. Vera Guido delivered contemporary essentials that are gender fluid; few pieces are gender-specific, if any.

The standout pieces include a collarless vegan leather blazer with a cream textured knit turtleneck. Other standouts are a cream vegan leather bolero jacket whose exacting cut gives it an air of distinction. A floor-length knit dress with a vest has supersoft simple lines and a neutral palette. All these garments add to a hard/soft dichotomy in the collection. The result is a play of opposites; a vegan leather jacket, is topped with a quilted overcoat, and a textured vest and cotton shirt are underneath, adding to the layers and textures.

Guido Vera's clothes are easy to wear and easy to read. Their strengths lie in solid design that draws on classic shapes and pieces. And much of the innovation is in responsible textile innovation and sourcing. Guido Vera shows that sustainable luxury is a thing. True to his minimalistic aesthetic Vera says, " I’m a minimal person in all that I do. It is my lifestyle. Also, I am a very nomadic person because, since I decided to do my brand, I started to travel a lot, for research into new fabrics, inspiration, and to show my work. My aesthetic is very soft and delicate because I’m into genderless pieces inspired in La Patagonia, the place where I was born and raised."

GUIDO VERA WEBSITE

GUIDO VERA INSTAGRAM

INCONCLUSION

Minimalism design focuses on form and line and is uncluttered. In the case of Guido Vera, it is also about a minimalistic lifestyle that adopts the idea of minimal impact on the world around us. The move towards sustainable clothing abounds, with the idea of having less clothing, clothing that follows eco-friendly standards and choosing responsibly made garments. The collection that Guido Vera presented at VFW shows that sustainability can exist in harmony with luxury garments.

CIAO FOR NOW J.ANDREW