Beauty, Identity, and Community: Latin American Immigrants Through The Lens of Paola Vivas

In this second edition of GEN33 I spoke to Mexican photographer Paola Vivas who talked about ongoing projects aimed at showcasing and supporting the Latin American community of creative talent in the UK.

Plust there’s exciting news in fashion from Brazil this month! Arezzo&Co, the Brazilian footwear and accessories giant, is making big moves towards expansion.

Meanwhile, I'm thrilled to share my latest article for The Business of Fashion, which delves into the delicate state of Fashion's Recovery in Latin America. I'm grateful to everyone who lent their voices for this, especially Gaba Najmanovich for her valuable insights and for sharing the piece with her community of readers. (BTW, she has an awesome newsletter called Exprimido de Tendencias, which is a must-read to be up to date with Latin America's consumer trends).

On top of that, Caravana Americana, Mexico's prestigious fashion and homeware tradeshow, was a great success last month. So much so, in fact, that it will now be participating in the upcoming Cities Summit of the Americas in Denver, Colorado, from April 26 to 30. Stay tuned for more updates on these exciting developments!

Read the full news round up here.

As a Latin American woman and an immigrant, Paola Vivas understands the importance of self-reflection and representing diversity in her work. Through her photographic perspective, she creates spaces of support and recognition for her close communities, documenting Latin American culture in creative spheres and exploring intimacy.

Vivas and I first crossed paths on a damp March day in 2014. It was at a photo shoot for System magazine in London. I was interning for stylist Panos Yiapanis, and she was assisting artist and photographer Matthew Stone. At the time, we were both completing our Master's degrees — me in fashion journalism and her in photography — at the London College of Fashion. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the shoot, we briefly connected over our mutual interest in doing projects that would further explore our Latin American roots.

Potrait of Paola Vivas for @dna_magazine

Almost nine years have passed since that chance meeting, and I am happy to have witnessed Vivas' evolution into a respected fashion and documentary photographer, having made a name for herself in the industry with nearly 14 years of experience in London. Her work has been featured in the likes of Elle Mexico, Vogue Italia, Another Magazine, i-D, and L'Officiel, to name a few.

Viva's exceptional eye for detail and ability to capture her subjects' strength caught the attention of Dior's creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri. In 2019, she was handpicked by the designer to be part of Dior's homage to Mexico cruise collection with seven other Mexican female photographers. The images feature looks of the collection against the stunning backdrop of Mexico's natural landscape and the architectural works of the legendary Luis Barragán.

In the past year, the photographer has focused on shining a light on Latin America's emerging talent. Last Spring, she released her debut photography book, "Espacio Latino," a collection of intimate portraits and conversational profiles showcasing the experiences and perspectives of Latin American immigrants living in London.

"My aim was to highlight the not-so-obvious aspects of being Latin American in the UK and how they create and claim their own space as individuals in today's society and creative landscape."

Krystal Paniagua is an knitwear designer of Puerto-Rican descent.

Just a few months later, she created a zine called "Chulas", celebrating her love for organic, unproduced photography and long-term relationships that arise from ongoing collaborations.

"I wanted to go back to doing something fashion related but without the pressure of having to look for editorial commissions," relying on brands and magazines to get the work published. She explains that she wanted an organic approach and to collaborate with people she admired and who had become her friends.

For Chulas, Vivas worked with models Amina Montoya, Trinidad González, Andi Venegas and stylists Marina Pamies and Clemmi Saglio.

However, Vivas felt more than showcasing talent on her platforms was needed. She also wanted to help the Latin American community of creatives connect and foster new collaborations.

To this end, she created Directorio, an independent directory to support Latin American creatives across various disciplines and help them connect and gain visibility.

The idea came about after launching her book, as the project had allowed her to connect with many people from the community. "I stopped overthinking it and just started an Instagram account and began adding people, and it started to grow from there," she explains. "I quickly realized that there was a need for it."

Paola's projects are creative and purposeful, reflecting her unwavering commitment to celebrating Latin America's emerging talent while providing support and creating opportunities for them to thrive. To learn more about Paola, you can check out her podcast episode on Female Gaze for Dior Talks; her archives are available for licensing at Kintzing.

@paolavivasphotography

www.paola-vivas.com