Taken from Nueva Mujer, Mauro González / Netflix Colombian fashion industry: a main character in Netflix's Macondo
Colombian fashion is not only setting trends, but it also tells the most fascinating stories in the world. The new series of One Hundred Years of Solitude showcases the incredible talent that exists in the country, thanks to national artisans and Colombian designers, highlighting a great opportunity for international investors: doing business in a national textile industry that stands out for quality and originality.
Discover the story of Colombian fashion industry in the Macondo recreated by Netflix and the opportunity of investing in the apparel industry in the country of beauty.
Taken from Milenio
Taken from CNNWho was in charge of the costume design?
Designer Catherine Rodríguez was in charge of the costume design for the One Hundred Years of Solitude series. This costume designer had already shown some of her talent in films such as Embrace of the Serpent (2015), Summer Birds (2018) and Memory (2021). Now, with this Netflix series, she has found the ideal platform to bring national fashion to screens worldwide.
However, Rodriguez did not work alone, she was accompanied by a team of approximately sixty people, working in 35 workshops and textile factories located in places such as Leticia, Puerto Carreño, Granada, Sincelejo, Medellin, Pasto and Bogotá, among others.
All these people’s work shows once again what Colombian talent is able to create, as it was an important part of this ambitious and high-budget production, which has positioned Colombia as a leading country in the global audiovisual industry.
TTaken from New Woman, Mauro González / NetflixHow did they achieve this?
The series begins in the mid-19th century, an era that left no major photographic records, making the task of recreating its costumes more difficult. For this reason, the production team conducted rigorous and fascinating research on the way of life, customs and garments that were produced in the country during the years covered by the show.
“The research took us through the paths of 19th century travelers,” says Catherine, who found the necessary inputs in portraits of the time; in texts such as The Corographic Commission; and even in auction houses, such as Augusta Auctions, an American company that represents entities related to vintage fashion. There, they acquired original pieces and saw how they looked, how they were put together and the possible ways to complete the outfits with jewelry, hairstyles and accessories.
In addition, materials were acquired. These include 100% Colombian cotton, rose gold and velvet, among others. These materials were necessary to bring the characters narrated by Gabriel García Márquez to the small screen.
Around 40,000 garments were made to dress the inhabitants of Macondo, with various artisanal, manual and ancestral textiles techniques, making a genuine representation of how clothing and traditional Colombian textiles were seen in the 19th century Colombia.
Discover What makes Colombian crafts special with One Hundred Years of Solitude
Taken from Vanity Fair, Mauro González / Netflix Here are some facts about the elaboration of the garments we will see in the series:
1. The military uniforms are made 100% in Colombian cotton, an input that stands out for quality and flexibility in the Colombian textile industry.
2. The suit of Melquiades, one of the most iconic characters of our literature, is made of silk velvet intervened with devoré, a technique in which the fibers of the material are dissolved with a chemical process to create a semi-transparent pattern.
3. Visitación, who is a Wayúu woman, wears a necklace of tumas, or tüumas, as they are known in Wayuunaiki . This necklace stands out because, in addition to the tüumas, it has little golden fish made of rose gold, which is Wayúu gold.
The Colombian fashion industry is currently at a very advanced point. The way in which garments are designed and manufactured considers every detail to produce original and high-quality goods. In addition, it is full of cultural hallmarks of the country of beauty, a differential factor that has become a competitive advantage of this sector. Now, with One Hundred Years of Solitude, it has a new opportunity to shine in a new scenario.
What is special about the Colombian fashion industry?
Colombian sustainable fashion has special characteristics that differentiate it as an industry, something that now allows it to shine on the world's screens. Among those differentiating factors of this fascinating textile industry are:
1. With instruments such as the Vallejo Plan, Colombian fashion is achieving an industrial development, as it allows businesspeople in the country to import inputs without paying taxes, only if these will be used to build goods that will later be exported. This makes the textile industry more dynamic and competitive.
2. Colombia, thanks to its geographical position and trade agreements, has become an export platform in the region. From here, investors can produce their goods and take them to other countries in the continent with competitive times and tax advantages.
Taken from Marie Claire, Mauro González / Netflix 
Taken from Marie Claire, Mauro González / Netflix 3. Colombia has a robust business ecosystem with close to 12 thousand companies in the fashion industry, something that has allowed it to boost its exports in the industry (USD 948.2 million in 2023) and innovate nationwide.
4. The country's infrastructure allows for flexible textile production in the fashion sector, which offers the possibility of making adjustments according to market dynamics.
Now, Colombian fashion has taken this last step with a starring role in Netflix, showing what national talent can achieve and taking advantage of all the advantages the sector has in the country. Invest in Colombia and discover what the country of beauty has to offer. Stay up to date on the development of the series here.
