The Tamesis
Welcome to The Scoop: a weekly email series in which I ask fashion insiders about the week’s stories. This will be a way for the Vogue business community to synthesize and reflect on the latest headlines every Friday and get a little inside scoop.
This week’s guest is Valentina Suárez-Zuloaga, Creative Director of Mercedes-Benz Madrid Fashion Week (MBFW Madrid). After several years of working in e-commerce at Stella McCartney and Temperley London in the British capital, Valentina returned to her hometown in 2018 and founded slow fashion retailer Es Fascinante.
A few years later, in February 2025, she was appointed to the position of MBFW Madrid. In just over a year, she’s put Madrid back on the fashion map. fashion business Before I met Valentina in person at Condé Nast’s London offices last month, I covered March’s Johanna Ortiz show and the city’s retail renaissance. It was there that she shared some news that I asked her to share with you today.
Hi Valentina! What is a scoop?
This September, Madrid Fashion Week will actually take place in Madrid for the first time. The event has been held at a venue 20 minutes’ drive from the city since its inception more than 40 years ago. This has been holding us back because the city of Madrid is one of our strongest assets.
We will perform in large palaces, other institutional buildings, and even on the streets. Our designers are always looking for options to present their collections in unique environments and we are working hard to position MBFW Madrid as the leading platform for Spanish fashion in Europe. Having the show in the city should help achieve that mission.
I keep hearing and reading that Madrid is going through a renaissance. Can you talk to me?
Madrid is currently receiving a large number of international tourists, mainly from Latin America. There are a lot of Venezuelans, Colombians, Mexicans… they actually call Madrid the “New Miami”. They started businesses and built residences in Madrid. We felt we needed to take advantage of this moment, so we started inviting international brands to showcase during MBFW Madrid. Taking March as an example, we have [Colombian brand] Johanna Ortiz’s show is here.
Which international brand will you invite in September?
This year we are delighted to welcome Agua Bendita, a very popular resort clothing brand from Colombia. The show will be held in partnership with the Latin American Fashion Awards (LAFA). This is our first time working with an external platform, and joining forces with an organization that already has a strong community is extremely valuable.
As part of this partnership, Agua Bendita presented by LAFA will host a special presentation in partnership with LAFA on Tuesday, September 15 at 12 noon. The show will celebrate Latin American culture, craftsmanship and heritage. It will also feature notable Hispanic talent, including a well-known singer who will perform live and help kick off the city’s fashion week.
You are relatively new to this job. What was your brief when you started?
Putting Madrid on the fashion map. It’s a city famous for its food and art, but we still have opportunities in fashion, and even though it’s not widely known, we’re good at it. I feel like our sails are picking up. If we execute this plan correctly, it can create jobs, economic growth, opportunity and international visibility for Spain, not just Madrid.
