Washington, D.C. U.S.: On Friday, September 27, the residence of the Colombian am-bassador was transformed into a vibrant celebration of Afro-Colombian culture, marking an inspiring tribute within the framework of Hispanic Heritage Month. This event, organized by civil society in collaboration with the Embassy of Colom-bia, aimed to highlight the rich Afro-Colombian identity that thrives through music and fashion as vital expressions of cultural resistance and explosion.
The tribute was led by Soulsapaz, produced by renowned Colombian designer Ed-win D’Angelo, and organized by Connectare, featuring talented Afro-Colombian designers such as Mitchell Ruiz, producer of the Petronio Álvarez Festival fashion catwalks, Lina Muñeton, and Marta Ruiz. Together, they showcased a dynamic fu-sion of African roots and contemporary trends, utilizing fashion as a powerful plat-form to tell stories of resilience, pride, and hope.
Mitchell Ruiz, mixes design, tradition and heritage, every year in the production of the Petronio Alvarez Festival. The Pacific Festival is a celebration that embraces the richness and diversity of Afro-Colombian heritage. Lina Muñeton is the found-er and creative director of Omara Ancestral, a company that has contributed to strengthening, making visible and empowering women artisans from communities in the Colombian Pacific, through the co-creation of artisan-made bags. The de-sign of Marta Ruiz's dresses and shoes capture the esence of her roots. Challeng-ing stereotypes and shining a light on the beauty of Afro-Colombian identities, driving a movement towards greater inclusivity in fashion.
“Afro-Colombian fashion plays an important role in the United States, highlighting the rich cultural heritage and artistic expressions of the Afro-Colombian communi-ty. It is an identity marker that incorporates African, indigenous, and Colombian influences in vibrant styles that promote pride and cultural awareness,” said Carmen Caballero, President of ProColombia, the entity in charge of promoting Co-lombian Exports, International Tourism, Foreign Direct Investment, and Colombia's Country Brand; “At Procolombia, we are committed to supporting the growth of pymes in this sector, enhancing the global impact of Afro-Colombian culture on the fashion industry and empowering Colombian entrepreneurs in the global mar-ketplace. Caballero added.
As a prelude to the event, Procolombia, hosted a discussion for designers and small business owners, providing guidance on the internationalization and export of Afro-Colombian fashion.
Attendees also had the opportunity to celebrate the musical heritage of the Pacif-ic; 19 dancers from the Mulato Cabaret group delivered a vibrant salsa performance in tribute to La Feria de Cali—one of Colombia's most iconic cultural celebra-tions—marking its international launch. This initiative is part of Cali's destination promotion strategy, “Cali is Where You Should Be,” led by the Cali Mayor's Office and Cali’s Secretary of Tourism. The tribute to La Feria de Cali aim to bring to-gether renowned cultural and diplomatic figures, to highlight and established Cali as a key reference in the global salsa scene in the United States and worldwide.
The U.S. capital served as the stage where Cali’s vibrant salsa music and the tal-ent of Afro-Colombian designers united to celebrate the city's musical heritage and the global impact of Afro-Colombian culture on the fashion Industry.
