No. SI1 (2025): Special Issue
Essays

Biodesign in Colombia: Turning Fashion Adversity into Innovation Amidst Socioeconomic Challenges

Pdf
  • Carolina Obregon,
  • Giovanna Danies Turano
Carolina Obregon
School of Fashion, Parsons School of Design, The New School, New York, United States
Giovanna Danies Turano
School of Architecture and Design, Department of Design, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/fh-3221

Published 14-07-2025

Keywords

  • biodesign,
  • Colombian fashion,
  • sustainability,
  • prosperity,
  • biodiversity

How to Cite

Obregon, C., & Danies Turano, G. (2025). Biodesign in Colombia: Turning Fashion Adversity into Innovation Amidst Socioeconomic Challenges . Fashion Highlight, (SI1). https://doi.org/10.36253/fh-3221

Copyright (c) 2025 Carolina Obregon, Giovanna Danies Turano

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Under the British dictionary and ChatGPT, **Prosperity** is defined in the context of today and the future in multiple dimensions, reflecting economic well-being and broader aspects of human development and societal health (OpenAI, 2024). As defined in contemporary and future contexts, prosperity encompasses sustainable growth, social equity, environmental stewardship, and adaptability to evolving global dynamics. This paper investigates how Colombia can navigate a prosperous fashion future amidst economic stagnation and the historical dominance of the Global North. By leveraging Colombia’s rich biodiversity, this research illustrates how biodesign can transform challenges into opportunities, reshaping the fashion industry through innovative practices and ethical considerations.Through qualitative analyses of perspectives from Colombian biodesigners and fashion designers, the study examines the potential of local resources, ancestral knowledge, and emerging technologies to redefine sustainability. The findings highlight biodesign as a transformative tool that bridges social equity, environmental sustainability, and economic viability, showcasing a roadmap for a regenerative and inclusive fashion ecosystem. This exploration underscores Colombia’s role as a model for integrating cultural heritage, biodiversity, and cutting-edge innovation into the global fashion narrative.

Pdf

References

  1. Apparel—Colombia | Statista Market Forecast. (2024).
  2. Statista. http://frontend.xmo.prod.aws.statista.com/outlook/
  3. cmo/apparel/colombia?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  4. Calgaro, S. (2018, January 23). Flavia Aranha: Finding old
  5. and new avenues to sustainable fashion. Believe Earth. https://
  6. believe.earth/en/flavia-aranha-finding-old-and-new-avenuesto-sustainable-fashion/
  7. DANE. (2023). Poverty statistics for ethnic groups in Colombia. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://dane.gov.co.
  8. Duque Schumacher, A. G., Pequito, S., & Pazour, J. (2020). Industrial hemp fiber: A sustainable and economical alternative to cotton. Journal of Cleaner Production, 268, 122180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122180
  9. Dutch Design Week 2024, 19-27 October. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21, 2025, from https://ddw.nl
  10. El País. (2024, December 4). La trampa de la desigualdad en Colombia eclipsa la disminución de la pobreza. El País.
  11. https://elpais.com/america-colombia/2024-12-04/la-trampade-la-desigualdad-en-colombia-eclipsa-la-disminucion-de-lapobreza.html
  12. Fashion Industry | Invest in Colombia. (2024). https://investincolombia.com.co/en/sectors/fashion-industry
  13. Filippa K. (2023). Sustainability report 2023. https://www.filippa-k.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-FilippaK-Library/default/Sustainability_Report/FilippaK_Sustainability_Report_2023.pdf
  14. Insight Crime. (2024). Homicide rates in Latin America. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://insightcrime.org
  15. Jarpa, S. G., & Halog, A. (2021). Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile Industry in Latin America. In M. Á.
  16. Gardetti & R. P. Larios-Francia (Eds.), Sustainable Fashion and Textiles in Latin America (pp. 105–130). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1850-5_6
  17. Lease jeans made with recycled denim. (2019, March 25). MaterialDistrict. https://materialdistrict.com/article/lease-jeans-recycled-denim/
  18. Maroccolo, M. (n.d.). Maibe Maroccolo dyes & lakes. WILD PIGMENT PROJECT. Retrieved March 21, 2025, from https://wildpigmentproject.org/maibe-maroccolo-dyes-lakes
  19. Meisel, A. (2014). No reversal of fortune in the long run: Geography and spatial persistence of economic History, 32(3),
  20. –428.
  21. MUD Jeans | Circular Denim. (n.d.). MUD Jeans. Retrieved March 21, 2025, from https://mudjeans.com/
  22. Mullen, M. (2023, November 20). Sweden’s Circular Fashion Industry. CIL. https://www.circularinnovationlab.com/post/sweden-s-circular-fashion-industry
  23. Myers, W. (2012). Bio design: Nature, science, creativity. Museum of Modern Art.
  24. OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com
  25. Otero-Cleves, A. M. (2024). Plebeian consumers: Global connections, local trade, and foreign goods in nineteenth-century Colombia. Cambridge University Press.
  26. Rangel-Buitrago, N., & Gracia C., A. (2024). From the closet to the shore: Fashion waste pollution on Colombian Central
  27. Caribbean beaches. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 199, 115976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115976
  28. Statista. (n.d.). Income inequality in Colombia: Share of income held by the richest 20% of the population from
  29. to 2022. Statista. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1075279/colombia-income-inequality/
  30. The World Bank. (2021). Global poverty monitoring. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://databankfiles.worldbank.org/public/ddpext_download/poverty/987B9C90-CB9F-4D93-AE8C-750588BF00QA/current/Global_POVEQ_COL.pdf
  31. The World Bank. (2021). Poverty and equity brief: Colombia. Retrieved December 23, 2024,
  32. from https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099243210122287317/pdf/IDU026d76e0706dfd047e40915e043f4231e4ce7.pdf
  33. Viana, C. (2024, June 29). Economic Impact of the Fashion Industry in Colombia. Colombia One: News from Colombia and the World. https://colombiaone.com/2024/06/28/colombia-fashion-industry-economic-colombiamoda/

Most read articles by the same author(s)