Why Quito Might Become the Next Design Hub and the Brazilian Film in the Running for an Oscar Nomination

Hello, hello and welcome back to your weekly dose of insights about the business and culture of Latin America’s creative industries.

For those of you who are new here (welcome!) and haven't read the about section, the 33 refers to the 33 countries that comprise the LATAM and Caribbean region. Different organisations count it differently, so there might be more or fewer countries, but I settled on 33 according to the United Nations. The GEN comes from "gente," meaning people in both Spanish and Portuguese. 🇧🇷🇲🇽🇦🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴🇵🇪🇻🇪🇺🇾🇧🇴🇵🇾🇬🇹🇸🇻🇨🇷🇵🇦🇩🇴

If you saw my Instagram stories recently, you might have noticed that I wasn’t too impressed with the return of the Victoria’s Secret show (more on that soon). But first, in this edition of GEN33, I chatted with Ángela Ortiz, co-creator of the first Quito Design Week, about how it all came together, and she recommended some top design studios and talents to look out for.

🎥 The BFI London Film Festival, running until Sunday, hosted some films by Latin American directors, including Brazil’s Oscar submission, Ainda Estou Aqui (I Am Still Here), directed by Walter Salles. I’ll have more on this next week after speaking to the lovely Brazilian journalist Patricia Dantas, who attended the premiere and will give us the inside scoop.

👀 Keep an eye out on ‘s Latin Zine. I had the most fun chat with her, and it’s coming out soon!

Also in this edition: Museo de Lima’s Peruvian textile heritage auction, Iguatemi’s expansion plans in Brasília, make-up artist Karla Leon’s London exhibit, Exprimido de Tendencias by trend forecasting superstar Gaba Najmanovich and more.

Ah! A quick note on Mexico and São Paulo Fashion Weeks wrapping up this weekend—I’ll give you more details next week after I’ve connected with my sources in MxCity and São Paulo on the ground for the full details!

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Let’s dive in!

Selling Underwear To Women Can’t Be Like Selling Beer to Men

Let me explain why the latest Victoria’s Secret show wasn’t particularly exciting for me. I grew up in a culture where, as soon as you're born female, your worth is tied to physical beauty. As a Venezuelan, we’ve got this ridiculous reputation for having the "most beautiful women in the world" (most surgically enhanced, might I add, but that’s another story). We’ve literally won more beauty pageants than any other country (trust me, I looked this up for a joke). Women in Venezuela are expected to live up to that standard.

I’ve been 175 cm tall since I was 15, and all I ever heard was people asking my mum if I’d enter Miss Venezuela. Nobody cared about my interests or what I wanted to study. It was all about being pretty, and that obsession runs deep in my country. I grew up seeing billboards with beer ads featuring ugly, fat men and bikini-clad women, or worse, ads where women were equated to beers. Yes, it was literally just a body with no face, called la catira. Colloquially, catira means blonde woman, but here it has a double meaning, also referring to the beer.

I even lost friends to the Miss Venezuela pageant—they came out so mentally scarred, we couldn’t even have normal conversations anymore. There’s a normalisation of eating disorders, boob and nose jobs at 16. And let's not forget how racist and Eurocentric this whole idea of beauty is.

Then referring back to the VS show, even from a business perspective, their revenue and image had been in sharp decline for years, especially with the boom of other brands like Parade and Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty, which had a completely different and more genuine approach towards the representation of bodies.

Then they bring back the same, if not worse, tacky spectacle and think that adding two curvy girls and a few older models (Tyra, Carla, Kate) fixes everything. As I said in my post, referring to one of Michelle Wolf’s jokes, “can we stop acting like women posing with almost no clothes is an accomplishment?”

VS’s problem goes beyond the issue with body shape or age, it’s their very limited vision of women. It’s essentially a glittery, candy-hued sex doll sort of thing. Let’s not even discuss the specific look choices for the 'token' models, with their strategic coverage and all-black outfits—the only way to fit them into this narrow, dumb ideal, as if anything unsightly might slip out. This is as dehumanising as the billboards of La Catira. Let’s set aside the VS show for a moment. Whose idea was it to put attractive women in lingerie on a runway? Obviously a man’s. It’s no surprise that Hillary Super, the new VS CEO, didn’t approve of the show, according to Lauren Sherman’s Line Sheet.

I’m not sure what the right strategy for this brand is. Since they sell to women, perhaps I'd start by making them human and more relatable—however that might be interpreted.

Anyway, this topic could easily fill the entire newsletter, so I’ll stop here. There’s so much more I want to discuss!

Could Quito Become LATAM’s Next Design Hub?

Quito Design Week concluded in Ecuador, celebrating a week of innovation and creativity in design, marking the country's first event of its kind. I spoke with Ángeles Ortiz, co-founder of the event, who shared how it started, why she believes Quito could be Latin America’s next design capital and her top recommendations for design studios to watch.

The featured activities and events across the city included graphic, interior, product, fashion and multimedia design. The idea for the event came from Ángeles Ortiz and Gireth Ovando, both product designers passionate about the industry. They saw great potential in Quito and wanted to connect local design with a global audience.

A turning point for Ortiz was when she moved to Madrid to study design and was introduced to its design culture. Her interest grew through further experiences in Italy and San Francisco. Returning to Ecuador, she was excited to connect with local designers.

“Design is booming in Ecuador,” she says, noting the rise in new businesses that have increased demand for interior designers and bespoke items like custom tableware for restaurants. She also attributes this to Ecuador’s growth as a tourism hub and its economic stability due to the use of the US dollar.

Ortiz also pointed out that many Ecuadorians in their 30s and 40s are staying or returning to the country after studying abroad. 

A key goal of Quito Design Week is to pave the way for a new generation. “My commitment now is to open doors for new design students and create opportunities for them,” Ortiz emphasised, highlighting the importance of making the event accessible to all Ecuadorians. To achieve this, they curated a series of talks and workshops, both in-person and online, so that those unable to attend can still participate.

“We’ve invited some international speakers from IED Barcelona and other provinces in Ecuador. Our curator is based in Miami, so we’re really making this an international event.

Ortiz and Ovando are still determining if the event will become biannual. “It’s been amazing so far. We’re really motivated.”

Some names to check out Ulbio Cevallos Cerámica - Ömere - Texturas de la Selva - Soroche De Los Andes - Lunalunares Studio - El Fulgor - Pamela Abad - Claudia Anhalzer - Quito Design Week.

🧶 XXXII MALI Auction Celebrates Peruvian Textile Heritage

On 19 October, Lima's Museum of Art (MALI) will host its 32nd auction dedicated in this edition to textile art, a heritage that has played a fundamental role in the cultural history of Peru. The event will showcase a selection of more than 70 pieces of art, ranging from historical textiles to innovative contemporary creations. Armando Andrade, honorary president of the auction, highlighted Peru's significant textile legacy, which often goes underappreciated. (Cosas Peru).

The 68th BFI London Film Festival is in full swing until October 20, taking place in London and across the UK!

Critics have highlighted Pepe from the Dominican Republic, directed by Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias, as a must-watch. Pepe is essentially the voice of a dead hippo 🦛—the first and last hippo killed in the Americas—telling his story with the overwhelming orality of these towns.

Another highlight is I’m Still Here, directed by Walter Salles and starring Fernanda Torres and Selton Mello. The feature film is Brazil's submission for the Best International Feature category at the 2025 Oscars. (Follow @Patydantas for more!)

More LATAM films at the Festival:

Iguatemi Brasília Announces Major $236 Million Expansion

Brasília is booming, and the famous Iguatemi luxury mall chain is leading the charge to meet the demand for high-end fashion, food and entertainment. Iguatemi is expaning its Brasília location with a $236 million BRL (around $42 million USD) investment, increasing the mall’s size by 50%. This will add 15,500 square metres, bringing the total to 50,100 square metres.

Set in the fast-growing Northwest region, Iguatemi Brasília will introduce 90 new stores, five restaurants, four cafes, three VIP cinemas, a wellness area, and a VIP event space. The expansion solidifies its position as the region's top luxury shopping destination region.

ICA Miami Buys Former de la Cruz Collection Building for $25 M

The Institute of Contemporary Art Miami is set to double in size after purchasing a building previously housing the de la Cruz Collection for $25 million. The acquisition adds 30,000 square feet to the museum, which plans to use the adjacent space for exhibitions and programming. (Via Artnews).

I wrote about the sale of Delacruz collection here 👇.

Para Ecuador Con Amor

Ecuadorian Hair and Makeup artist Karla Quiñonez León's debut exhibition, "Para Ecuador, Con Amor" ("With Love to Ecuador"), will be held in London from 24th to 27th October. This exhibition is her heartfelt tribute to her homeland, and she warmly invites everyone to come and experience her work. Karla will be present throughout the exhibition during opening hours.

Hot out of the oven!

🔮 And last for this week but certainly not least is a newsletter I can’t recommend enough: Exprimido de Tendencias (which means something along the lines of "Trends Squeeze"). It’s written by Buenos Aires-based Gaba Najmanovich, a dear friend I met while studying at the London College of Fashion. Every month she shares updates and insights on trends; how emotions influence consumption and design, innovative experiences, new aesthetics, social movements, design strategies and plenty of inspiring data.

I second her recommendation for this Tiny Desk concert…

..and the artist Randolpho Lamonier. Here are Gaba’s insights:

Gaba has been reflecting on Latin America—its future, what unites and separates the region, and its shared worldview. In this mindset, she discovered Profecías, a series of textile collages by Randolpho Lamonier. What stood out to her was his approach to prophecies, which aligns with future design. She appreciated how future scenarios can be expressed artistically, not just in reports. For Gaba, Randolpho’s work signals change, and she plans to explore what larger shifts it connects to.

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