Models: Andrea Escobar; Ian Valencia; Catherine Pena; Marcel Castellano; Valentina Alzate; Dayana Angulo; Stephanie Del Toro Montalvo; Victoria Bermon. Photographer: Santiago Quiceno. Creative director: Marcel Castellano.
In a recent conversation, creative director Marcel Castellano, a businessman with an innovative and bold vision, shared his perspective on the current state of Latin American fashion and his aspiration to position it on the international stage. As an artist and entrepreneur with over 15 years of industry experience, Marcel has worked in various roles such as model, makeup photographer and fashion designer, accumulating deep and diverse skills and knowledge that he now channels into his eponymous brand.
Andrea Escobar.
Marcel reflects on how Latin American brands and designers are not always seen as synonymous with luxury in the global industry. “We, as Latinos, also appreciate, enjoy and generate luxury in all its forms,” creative director Marcel Castellano notes. His intention is to start showing that luxury in Latin America goes beyond material possessions, encompassing unique encounters and lifestyles as well.
Stephanie Del Toro Montalvo.
His inspiration comes from his multicultural experience and his observation of global trends. Working with global-scale production, Marcel Castellano creatively captures and fuses international aesthetics and trends with his cultural heritage. His latest collection, Naturoxi, exemplifies this fusion, combining natural textures with Gothic and Baroque influences, reflecting both his roots and his contemporary vision.
Catherine Pena. Marcel Castellano.
His creations are a merged of two parts: the traditional, which plays with functional elements that identify the brand, and the artistic, where the prints are created for each piece using different materials that blend Latin American craftsmanship with a global influence, projecting and international touch. In short, Marcel Castellano is a brand that appeals to tradition and comfort but does not compromise on creativity and innovation.
Victoria Bermon.
Marcel Castellano positions himself as a global brand led by a Latino, with the firm intention of showing that luxury labels also have Latin American history and roots. Notable examples with Latin American leadership and origins include Carolina Herrera , founded by the Venezuelan designer of the same name, and Oscar de la Renta , who, although primarily operated in New York, was born in the Dominican Republic and always maintained his cultural heritage in his designs. “They started something that I intended to continue”, says creative director Marcel Castellano.
Dayana Angulo.
John Galliano is one of his greatest inspirations, and like him, Marcel seeks to imprint a unique identity in his designs that speak of his cultural richness. “Fashion is not just about following trends, but creating something that is wearable and, at the same time, represents a lasting style statement” , he comments. Likewise, the brand has focused on carefully managing its production processes around the world.
Catherine Pena.
In Marcel’s words, “…one of the company’s main priorities was to develop a supply chain capable of producing unique and wearable pieces on a large scale, with close collaborations with artisans and my production centers around the world.”
Stephanie Del Toro Montalvo. Valentina Alzate.
The brand has a social focus through the Latin Proud Project (@latinproudproject) , where Marcel develops educational programs that aim to create and implement solutions that ensure fair recognition of artisans and creators work. Informed by his life experience, he is concerned with education in two ways: towards the consumer, seeking to raise awareness about creation practices, and towards the artisan who will benefit from global business skills in order to value their work more fairly.
Valentina Alzate.
Marcel Castellano’s proposal is not only limited to aesthetics but is also a statement of Latin capacity and creativity in the fashion industry. “We are proposing accessible luxury, high fashion produced globally, a brand led by a Latino, but with an international presence” , he concludes.
Ian Valencia. Valentina Alzate. Stephanie Del Toro Montalvo.
Creative director Marcel Castellano brings his experience, passion, and dedication to the global market, aiming to enhance fashion and offer a fresh perspective on luxury through his Latin vision.
Models: Andrea Escobar; Ian Valencia; Valentina Alzate; Stephanie Del Toro Montalvo; Patricia Uribe. Photographer: Santiago Quiceno. Creative director Marcel Castellano.
Artistic & Creative Director: Marcel Castellano @marcelcastellanostudio.
Photographer: Santiago Quiceno @santiquiceno.
Makeupo and Hair: Lore Durango @loredurang0; Agustin Larez @agustinlarezm.
Wardrobe: Marcel Castellano @marcelcastellanostudio.
Styling: Juan Sebastian Peralta @segundosolar; Mercado Vintage Colombia @mvintagecol.
Headresses: Ana Barragan @anabarragandesign.
Contributing writer: Paola Lozano @yoylamoda.
Models:
– Stephanie Del Toro Montalvo @stephanie_del_toro;
– Catherine Pena @cathe_pen;
– Ian Valencia @ianvalenciab;
– Dayana Angulo @dayanajangulo;
– Valentina Alzate @valentinalzate;
– Victoria Bermon @bambievic;
– Marcel Castellano @themarcelcastellano;
– Patricia Uribe @patrizia_uribe;
– Andrea Excobar @andre_escobar19.
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
