Designer who built her fashion career in London opens a new creative chapter in Paris

Erika Alvarez’s latest project brings Mexican women-led design to the French capital, following a career shaped by her years in London.

A Mexican designer who moved to London after leaving a corporate career is bringing women-led fashion and craftsmanship to a new audience in Paris.

Erika Alvarez, founder of KOUA, hosted seven Mexican design brands at her Paris space in a project combining collections, creative workshops and cultural exchange.

The initiative launched on 4 October at 11 Rue Gustave Courbet, 75116 Paris, in collaboration with M de Moda, a communication platform focused on Mexico’s fashion industry.

For Alvarez, it is part of a broader development in her work, bringing together fashion, art, textile heritage and the people behind the making process.

Her route to Paris began with a decision to change careers. Born and raised in Mexico City, she moved to London in 2012 and completed a Master’s degree in International Fashion Marketing at the British School of Fashion.

She went on to launch two collections and collaborate with brands promoting Mexican arts and crafts in Britain and across Europe.

After a year in lockdown in London during the pandemic, she returned to Mexico to reconnect with Indigenous communities. That period helped shape the first samples of KOUA Studio and a renewed focus on the relationship between contemporary design and traditional craft.

Now based in Paris, Alvarez is developing a space where other creatives can contribute to that conversation.

“For me, it was particularly important to create a space where the work of fellow Mexican women in the creative industries could gain greater visibility in Paris, while also encouraging dialogue, exchange and collaboration,” she said.

M de Moda brought together the participating designers, while Alvarez hosted the project and helped shape its cultural and creative direction.

The seven brands offered a varied picture of contemporary Mexican design. Gabriela Sánchez presented an artisanal approach to jewellery rooted in Guadalajara’s craftsmanship, while Regina Dondé brought contemporary womenswear from Mexico City.

Ximena Corcuera’s work connects conceptual fashion, art and sustainability, and Menos 117 focuses on responsible contemporary design. Off the Book represented footwear from Guanajuato, a region with a long shoemaking tradition.

Bere Flores / Berry Funky Mind brought a bold approach to fashion from Nuevo León. Río de Hilares completed the selection with bags and accessories developed through collaborations with Indigenous communities across Mexico.

Alongside the collections, the programme included a styling workshop led by Styling Inc., a duo founded by two Mexican women, and textile dyeing with Florilegium. Hibiscus mezcal cocktails from Mezcal 41 Almas accompanied the opening event.

Alvarez sees these shared experiences as an important way to introduce audiences to the processes and ideas behind the finished work.

“What excites me most is the possibility of presenting Mexico not as a fixed aesthetic or an image from the past, but as a living and evolving creative culture,” she said.

Her own practice is also changing. Following her first collection presentation in Paris in 2025, she is preparing a new collection that she plans to introduce outside the conventional Fashion Week format.

The next phase will explore connections between Mexican textile heritage and French craftsmanship, with potential collaborations involving ateliers, artisans and artists.

“For me, the most exciting direction is not simply to reproduce one cultural language, but to explore what can emerge when different traditions, materials, techniques and perspectives meet,” she said.

The October project is one expression of that ambition: a gathering of women whose work shows the breadth of Mexican design, hosted by an artist whose own career has developed across Mexico City, London and Paris.

Visit kouamexico.com and erika-alvarez.com. Follow KOUA at @koua_mexico and Erika at @erialvarezz.