by Shamiso Chimbo
Genaro Rivas is the first and only Peruvian designer to present at London Fashion Week. A self-taught fashion designer and entrepreneur, Rivas had an early interest in art and took classes in colour imagery and combinations during his childhood before pursuing a career in Fashion Business Administration.
Alchemy of Ashes is Genaro Rivas' latest collection for AW25 at London Fashion Week and the fourth consecutive season the designer was showcased. Looking at the accompanying show notes, alchemy and fire represent a metamorphosis for the designer, with the collection serving as a metaphor for the transformative nature of fashion and how a garment can ‘move’ from simply fabric to an entire identity.
Rivas took inspiration from Robert Eggers' 2015 cult film The VVitch, looking to the A24 horror whilst conceptualising this collection. For this, he investigated the symbolism of witches and the occult - with his research dating back to the seventeenth century - and included elements of this in the looks.
Models wore long braided hair and black kohl smudged around their eyes, elements in line with the dark and moody aesthetic of the clothes they adorned. Alchemy of Ashes featured 30 different looks in total, with a palette of mainly black and darker hues of blue with some pops of red and silver.
When researching the themes, Rivas investigated seventeenth century artwork depicting the occult and witchcraft. These visuals were then printed onto fabrics, with specific motifs like goats, hares and cats being imagery taken and infused across the collection.
As with previous collections, the designer innovatively combined traditional Peruvian materials such as Alpaca wool along with modern techniques such as laser fretwork, a computer-controlled laser that precisely burns intricate patterns onto the material, to offer a contemporary vision of fashion.
These examples were used in conjunction with a range of textiles and processes including cloths, silk, human hair, moulage and embroidery.
Rivas is driven to ensure that fashion positively impacts the lives of others, which is evident in his passion for promoting sustainability and inclusivity.
The designer created ‘weavers for hope,’ a social project where he collaborated with hand weavers from San Juan de Lurigancho. The area was hard hit by Covid-19 and subsequent unemployment.
This initiative led to Rivas collaborating with weavers to produce a collection which was then promoted and sold locally. This entrepreneurship and social cause earned him the place on the Master in Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme at LCF.
After entering and winning a fashion contest, Rivas decided to follow his passion for fashion design and, in 2022, Rivas relocated to London to study MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of the Arts London (UAL) / London College of Fashion (LCF).
During his Master’s course, Rivas created a ‘Methodology for the Estimation of Fair Wages’ in designer-artisan collaborations furthering his commitment to sustainable and ethical fashion.
For his debut collection during the AW24 season at London Fashion Week, he embraced the practice of localism by collaborating with 100 East London craftsmen. Rivas is passionate about fashion helping the community and feels that this should be infused throughout the entire process.
Genaro Rivas is driven to bring not only his eponymous brand to global recognition but Peruvian contributions to fashion as a whole.
A notable achievement on the journey to this awareness, he created the ‘Modular Dress’ in 2018. The first 3D printed dress in Peru and Latin America, it was developed with support of Emilia Gutierrez, Augusto Acosta and Makerbot Latam and was showcased at the Iberoamerican Design Biennal in Spain which highlighted sustainability in the industry.
Through the use of traditional Peruvian materials and techniques along with contemporary methods, the designer seeks to offer a new perspective on Latin American fashion. He has a vision for putting Peru onto the global stage and opening the door for more Peruvian designers to parade at London Fashion Week and beyond.