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Some of the best fashion brands in our closets have incredible founders behind them.
From Colombian resortwear and Brazilian statement dresses to beautifully made handbags, shoes, swimwear and the pajamas we basically live in, there are so many Latina-founded fashion brands worth knowing.
These are the designers and brands we’re shopping right now—and the pieces we’re bookmarking from each.
Agua Bendita
Colombian best friends Catalina Álvarez and Mariana Hinestroza founded Agua Bendita in 2003, initially making swimsuits for friends and family using Catalina’s grandmother’s sewing machine and discarded fabrics from a local clothing factory.
More than two decades later, the craftsmanship is still one of the things that makes Agua Bendita special. The Colombian fashion brand has become known for exuberant prints, swimwear and resort pieces filled with hand-finished details.
If you’re shopping for a vacation, this is one of the first places we’d look.
What We’re Shopping From Agua Bendita
Shop our current edit of Agua Bendita swimwear, dresses and resort pieces.
SHOP OUR AGUA BENDITA PICKS → →
FARM Rio
If your closet could use more color, start with FARM Rio.
The Brazilian fashion brand was founded by Kátia Barros and Marcello Bastos in Rio de Janeiro in 1997, beginning with a small booth at a local independent fashion market before growing into the international label it is today.
FARM Rio is still unmistakably FARM Rio: tropical prints, incredible color, statement dresses and pieces that make getting dressed considerably more fun. We’re especially partial to the dresses, matching sets and sweaters.
What We’re Shopping From FARM Rio
See the FARM Rio dresses, sweaters, sets and accessories currently on our list.
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Multicolor Royal Sea Euroflax Premium Linen Maxi Dress | FARM Rio
$224.00 -
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Off-White Checkered Stripes Sleeveless Lenzing Ecovero Euroflax Maxi Dress | FARM Rio
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Sand Hilo Stripes Maxi Dress | FARM Rio
$196.00 -
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Green Monstera Leaf Sleeveless Euroflax Premium Linen Maxi Dress | FARM Rio
$264.00
PatBO
Brazilian designer Patricia Bonaldi learned to sew from her mother while growing up in Uberlândia, Brazil. She began making clothes herself and eventually turned that skill into PatBO, a fashion label now known internationally for intricate craftsmanship and seriously good occasion dressing.
PatBO doesn’t make wallflower clothes. Expect beautiful prints, embroidery, embellishment, fringe, dramatic swimwear and dresses that are supposed to be noticed.
When we’re looking for a vacation dress, wedding-guest dress or something genuinely special, PatBO is one of the brands we check.
What We’re Shopping From PatBO
Shop the PatBO dresses, swimwear and statement pieces we’re loving right now.
Cuyana
Cuyana is for the opposite fashion mood: fewer things, but really good ones.
Ecuador-born Karla Gallardo co-founded Cuyana with Shilpa Shah around a philosophy the brand calls “fewer, better.” Rather than building a business around an endless cycle of trends, Cuyana became known for understated leather goods and wardrobe staples intended to be carried and worn repeatedly.
The handbags are where we’d start. Cuyana’s totes, shoulder bags and travel pieces are polished without feeling too formal and minimal without becoming boring.
This is one of our favorite brands for finding the everyday bag you’ll actually use.
What We’re Shopping From Cuyana
See the Cuyana bags and accessories currently in our edit.
Larroudé
If it feels like Larroudé suddenly appeared everywhere, there’s a reason.
Brazilian fashion veteran Marina Larroudé founded the footwear company with her husband, Ricardo Larroudé, in 2020 after a career that included major roles at Barneys New York, Teen Vogue and Style.com.
The shoes hit a particularly good middle ground: interesting enough to transform an outfit without becoming impossible to wear in real life.
We’re talking platforms, sandals, boots, party shoes and very good flats.
What We’re Shopping From Larroudé
Shop the Larroudé shoes currently on our wish list.
Johanna Ortiz
Few designers have created a point of view as recognizable as Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz.
Born in Cali, Colombia, Ortiz built her namesake label around bold prints, dramatic proportions, movement and the kind of tropical glamour that makes you immediately want to book a vacation.
Her dresses have become particularly recognizable, but don’t overlook the skirts, tops and accessories. These are investment pieces, but they’re also the sort of clothes people remember.
What We’re Shopping From Johanna Ortiz
See the Johanna Ortiz dresses and statement pieces we’re bookmarking.
SHOP OUR JOHANNA ORTIZ PICKS → →
Eberjey
Eberjey was founded in Miami in 1996 by Ali Mejia and Mariela Rovito.
Mejia was born in El Salvador and raised in Miami, while Rovito was born in Buenos Aires and also raised in Miami. Together, they created a lingerie and sleepwear brand centered around comfort, softness and femininity.
And then came the pajamas.
Eberjey’s Gisele pajamas have become the kind of product that makes repeat appearances on gift guides for a reason. They’re ridiculously soft, look pulled together enough for Christmas-morning photos and are available in enough colors and variations to make them dangerously collectible.
What We’re Shopping From Eberjey
Shop the Eberjey pajamas, loungewear and sleepwear we love.
Maaji
Colombian sisters Manuela and Amalia Sierra founded Maaji in their hometown of Medellín after growing up in an entrepreneurial family and dreaming of creating their own swimwear company.
The brand became particularly well known for its reversible swimwear and playful approach to mixing prints, colors and silhouettes.
Maaji is fun without feeling juvenile. If you want a swimsuit that doesn’t look exactly like everything else on the beach—or something you can style several different ways—this is a very good place to start.
What We’re Shopping From Maaji
See the Maaji swimsuits, cover-ups and resort pieces we’re shopping.
Why We Keep Coming Back to These Latina-Founded Fashion Brands
What we love about this group isn’t a single aesthetic—it’s actually how different the brands are.
You can go from Cuyana’s beautifully restrained leather bags to FARM Rio’s explosion of color, from an Agua Bendita swimsuit to a Johanna Ortiz investment dress, a pair of Larroudé shoes or Eberjey pajamas.
The common thread is a strong point of view and founders who built brands that are genuinely worth knowing.
We’ll continue updating this guide as we discover more Latina-founded fashion brands and new pieces worth shopping.