Being a Latin-American myself, I can’t help but question the South American continent’s aesthetic next to the European world. The differences are colossal — from colour palette to silhouette, materials, even standards. It's an undeniable fact that fashion is a representation of culture but this seems like a contradiction in the mostly Spanish-speaking continent; South America is a land of multiracial countries, yet we don’t dare to experiment with other influences rather than our own. So, when you run into a designer who actually steps out and looks beyond those - mostly - warm waters and still keeps a unique concept without surrendering to the European aesthetic, its something of a celebration.

 On a rare trip to the lowest part of this continent, I ran into Julia Schang Vitón, an Argentinian designer whose work is a gasp of fresh air in the middle of the contemporary fashion scene - and not just in Argentina. She is an academic fashion designer with interests in the written word, she calls herself an explorer -  one that keeps looking for challenges in the aesthetic-functional relation in the day to day. Julia has been a witness and an active participant in changes regarding how fashion is perceived in her natal country, she goes on to explain “Bringing a new silhouette to the table was quite a provocation three years ago. To think of a kimono in a Buenos Aires’ scene was outrageous. Nowadays, we’ve moved on to think of it as audacious.”  

 One wonders what made this designer experiment in a manner that most south-american talents don't dare to. You have to start with the fact that in regards to the fashion industry Argentina is seen as the rebel child in this side of the world. Trends reflect differently, like their weather that is always on reverse. So if your winter is their summer, and your summer is their winter, imagine what the European collections reflect if they are always in the opposite station for them. For example, in my trip down south I realized that whilst the rest of the world is all about stilettos, Argentina is a full-on fan of creepers and I mean full-on. I can’t assure the source of their uniqueness but you can see it in their street-style and national brands.

 In the case of Schang-Vitón, the eponymous label is one that portrays a collage of her background as she is part French and Chinese; it's a mixture of sleek pieces with the right amount of androgyny. Her collections have a rare quality that stands the test of time, something difficult to find in emerging talents and it seems that her source of inspiration is just as authentic. “Its my way of giving something back to everything and everyone whom I’ve learnt from. Every collection is grounded on a particular question or personal reflection and, as so, it will always be genuine.” she says. In an ever-changing industry where last week’s garments seem like dusty rags, she maintains her belief of endurance over quantity. “Fashion has become a fast paced race, but somehow, the winning price is not as attractive as we have thought it was” she believes in handcrafts and calls out how troubling it is that the industrialisation of the practice is making people obsolete by stating “I give more importance to the process rather the product itself and believe in clothing with no expiration date.” As a result, her pieces look handcrafted to the last detail - a quality that she calls her greatest challenge and major achievement to date. This may be what makes her stand out from other Latin-American designers and what makes Argentinian talent distinctive. They have to adjust to significant temperature changes from season to season; this is a trait that a lot of the countries in the continent do not have to deal with and this is what gives place for quality, the need of protection and long-lasting fabrics that won’t dissolve in your wardrobe whilst temperatures are still high.

 The interesting side of this is finding designers that achieve innovation and search for it in a universal manner whilst maintaining a connection with their native country and culture. Recently, Schang-Viton has been experimenting with materials that honour Argentina, such as the lama-fibre: a fibre made by an ancient technique typical of an Argentinian region called San Juan. An innovative idea to the point of developing a documentary - Loom Boom Collaboration Project - a film not only played in Buenos Aires but also in here in London, and it's not her first time being recognized as a creative talent in the United Kingdom. “I find London a source of never-ending inspiration. I’ve always been tempted in having much more to do with that city and been working in my perfect excuse to do so ever since. The exhibition of our recent documentary film has represented a consistent approach towards that and may be a perfect opportunity to showcase my work once again in the UK.” 

As one of the rare designers to place kimonos on Argentinian catwalks and to challenge the Latin silhouette, I wanted to know how her cutting-edge ideas come to be. So when I asked her about the model featured in her AW 14 collection, it was so refreshing to hear how spontaneous the whole thing came together. “I’ve always been conscious in choosing people that represent Schang-Viton and also impersonate my beliefs, but most important of all, inspire me” she continues “I came across this amazing Portuguese woman one day at my Buenos Aires store. She was absolutely breath taking, her story, her adventures, her presence, everything about herself was as intriguing as each one of her wrinkles. She was the voice of experience and a woman to be portrayed. I was so happy to see that she liked my work and in an act of mutual admiration, she accepted to be photographed for the ‘Se me apagó la tele AW14’ campaign.”

 Emerging designers don’t always have the facility to sell their collections worldwide but in Schang-Viton's case, she is already working on bringing the brand across the Atlantic and into European wardrobes. As the real challenge behind it is to find a customer in a world that is so different from South-America, but as she demonstrates, if your creations don’t belong to one country or culture that challenge dissipates. I respect how Latin-American designers are so distinct from anything else, from their expertise in working with color to enhancing the female body in the most unapologetic way, however, that may not be looking into the future; we are living in a world without borders, so if you can find pizza with avocado topping, and sushi with plantain one wonders why is the talent in the Latin fashion industry being so stubborn and rejecting global influences?

Contact: www.schangviton.com.ar

Words by Mariana Cardenas