Breakout designer makes New York Fashion Week debut, champions his Mexican roots

Patricio Campillo has already attracted plaudits and celebrity customers. He is predicted to be next big star in fashion. Photo: Instagram/Patricio Campillo

New York Fashion Week kicks off on Friday (Sept 6), with designers showcasing their Spring/Summer 2025 collections.

Both legacy brands like Tommy Hilfiger, and new kids on the block, such as Mexican designer Patricio Campillo, will be putting on their runway shows.

Campillo will be making his New York Fashion Week debut on Saturday (Sept 7) at the Public Hotel with a men's line that he says was inspired by Mexican volcanoes and how they can "modify a space".

"The brand's patterns are based on a suit that my grandfather gave my dad when my dad turned 18, and this suit was given to me a few years ago," said Campillo in an interview.

For his Autumn/Winter 2022 collection, Patricio Campillo looked for inspiration in Charreria, the centuries-old Mexican equestrian tradition with its own codes and techniques mastered by skilled artisans. Photo: Instagram/Patricio Campillo

Negotiating his career as a self-taught designer had been difficult without the benefit of another Mexican designer who had previously broken through, he said, adding that he hoped his success could help those coming up.

"Mexico is a place full of talent, full of people willing to work and I believe that nobody grows alone," said Campillo.

Campillo has already attracted plaudits and celebrity customers, and fashion and beauty writer Asia Milia Ware at New York Magazine's website The Cut predicted he will walk away with even more attention following his New York Fashion Week appearance.

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"The right eyes can land you into a retailer, which is a big goal for a lot of these designers," she said. "Or the right eyes from an editor can land you press, whether that's landing you on a cover, landing you a feature which can really just be dynamic and really life-changing for these designers. So, it's a big moment."

This season there are roughly 60 designers on the official calendar, plus many more off-calendar.

Ware said the most anticipated shows were Alaia and Off-White.

"They normally show in Paris, but this year they're showing in New York, and they're like the two hottest tickets to get in the city this season," she said.

Bold reds and power shoulders would be central themes of collections, she predicted. – Reuters