Colombia: Inside and Out at the Colombiamoda Fashion Show · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Colombian bloggers discuss the relevance of the ColombiaModa international fashion show, a model speaks about the not-so-rosy aspects of the fashion show, and others post their thoughts on the Independence Celebrations of July 20th, which took place in the island of San Andrés for the first time in Colombia's history.
The Colombia Moda  fashion show took place July 10 – 12 in Medellín. In De Buena Fuente [ES] the author comments:
Además del atractivo de lo que pueda mostrar la diseñadora Carolina Herrera, esta nueva versión de Colombiamoda en Medellín tendrá un asunto, aparentemente superfluo, pero que reviste gran importancia en el mundo de la moda: el peso de las modelos. Por primera vez en la historia la organización del evento, Inexmoda le puso atención al tema y el peso de las modelos estará en los ojos de los especialistas. Esta preocupación en las pasarelas de todo el mundo por fin llegará a Colombiamoda donde poco caso le habían hecho al tema.”
Besides the attraction of what designer Carolina Herrera could show, this new version of Colombiamoda in Medellín will have an apparently superfluous facet, but one which has great impact on the world of fashion: the models’ weight. For the first time in the history, the event's organizer Inexmoda paid attention to this issue and the models’ weights will be in the hands of specialists. This common concern of runways throughout the world will finally arrive at Colombiamoda, where little attention had previously been paid to the issue.
In life is beautiful, andriumejia [ES] interviewed Carolina Herrera and asked her about her perception of the weight regulations. Herrera's answer disappointed her:
Ella, muy segura, me responde que en el mundo de la moda las modelos siempre han sido altas y fl acas. Y que además, la anorexia se da en todos los ámbitos de la vida… en la danza, el ballet, el cine… Y que ella opina que eso no tiene nada que ver con la moda si no que, más bien, se debería culpar a las familias y a las mamás que no educan a sus hijas en los hábitos alimenticios correctos y las dejan caer en esta enfermedad.”
She, quite confidently, answered that in the world of fashion models have always been tall and skinny. And besides, anorexia is something which appears in all ways of life… in dance, ballet, movies… and that she believes that this has nothing to do with fashion but that, instead, families and mothers who don't educate their children on correct eating habits and who let them fall into this disease should be blamed.
Sergio was also at Colombiamoda and posted a couple of backstage pictures he took on his blog, CiudadSolar [ES]. Andrew + Iconia also posted pictures of the fashion show on their flickr photo album. Testarudo, a fashion designer has fotos of the clothing that appeared on the runway on his blog as well as on a flickr photoset.
El fiscal in La Fiscalia [ES] wonders why Colombiamoda is so attractive to the media, who insist in covering the fashion show 24/7:
Tal vez Colombiamoda tenga mucha proyección y visitantes internacionales. No negamos su importancia dentro de la industria textil. Es decir, es importante comercialmente para quienes trabajan dentro del negocio de la moda pero a los consumidores no nos afecta en nada.
¿Por qué razón los medios nos meten a Colombiamoda por los ojos? ¿Qué tiene Colombiamoda? ¿Alguien sabe la respuesta?
Maybe Colombiamoda has internationally renowned visitors from all over. We don't doubt its importance within the textile industry. In other words, it is commercially important for those who work within the fashion industry, but it doesn't affect consumers at all.
Why does the media ceaselessly feed us Colombiamoda? What is it with Colombiamoda? Does anyone know the answer?
En El Averno [ES], Bernardo Barrera has a cutting commentary on how Colombia forgets its problems when Colombiamoda comes sashaying about:
Qué lindo, vacaciones de mitad de año, y para cerrarlas con broche de oro, Colombiamoda, magno evento de la «moda» colombiana, evento cultural y recreativo, pues: cultural porque ¿qué más cultura se le puede pedir a un colombiano? ¡Vallenato y fútbol!; recreativo porque nada mejor que ver culos, tetas y pijas forradas para olvidarse del gurre que se tiene por esposa o esposo… Y pues claro, allá está metida toda la «crema y nata» del país, todos comentando lo importante de la moda en Colombia, un país donde tres cuartos de la población es pobre, y de ellos más de la mitad no solo es pobre sino que vive en la inopia…
How nice! Mid-year vacations and along comes Colombiamoda to end them with a bang, the greatest event for Colombian “fashion”, cultural and recreational event, well: cultural because what other culture could you ask of a Colombian? Vallenato and soccer!; recreational because there's nothing better than watching asses, tits and dicks upholstered to forget the fright you have for husband or wife… And of course, Colombia's highest society will all be there, all of them discussing how important fashion is for Colombia, a country where three-fourths of the population is poor, and of those, more than half are not only poor but live in absolute misery.
W radio has an audio interview [ES] where top Colombian Model Norma Nivia comments on her experience in the fashion show and the model agency's “war” for commissions where a competing INforma model agency director attempted to pull her out of a show at last minute and substitute her with a newcomer Medellín model from her own agency, something Norma Nivia assumes is because she is from Stock Models, a competing agency in Bogotá.
On the other hand, July 20 was Colombia´s independence, and this year it was extra special.
Javier Ramírez from Tertulia Vespertina [ES] writes:
Por primera vez en la historia de Colombia, el desfile conmemorativo del 20 de Julio se realizó en el departamento archipiélago de San Andrés… Históricamente al archipiélago de San Andrés, se le ha tenido poco en cuanta en materia de inversión y participación, esto con el agravante de la insistente lucha fronteriza con Nicaragua, país que reclama el territorio. Es por esto que el desfile de hoy tiene tanta trascendencia ya que une a toda la nación entorno a la libertad.
For the first time in Colombia's history, the commemorative July 20th parade took place in the archipelago state of San Andrés.… Historically, the San Andres Archipelago has not been taken into account regarding investment and participation.  In addition, there is the insistent border disputes with Nicaragua, a country which reclaims the territory. This is why today's parade was so transcendent, since it joins together our whole nation on behalf of liberty.
Colombia Digital´s blogger Carlos Sanabria is concerned:
Llevar a San Andrés el desfile militar del 20 de julio, que usualmente se realiza en Bogotá, para dar muestra de soberanía en momentos en que el Tribunal Internacional de La Haya decide si tiene o no competencia para intervenir en la reclamación que hace Nicaragua del archipiélago.
De esto último les quería hablar. Este nuevo golpe de opinión, va a tener a periodistas y analistas opinando sobre la conveniencia o no de un desfile, que podría ser considerado por Managua una demostración innecesaria de fuerza y un acto hostil.
Taking the July 20th military parade to San Andrés, which is usually done in Bogota, to prove our sovereignty at times when the International Court of Justice decides if they have or not competency to intervene with the claims Nicaragua is making of the Archipelago.
This last point I wish to discuss is the new opinion strike that will have journalists and analysts commenting on the convenience or inconvenience of the parade, which could be considered by Managua an unnecessary and hostile show of strength.
Maldoror of Un Colombiano Más [ES]  also thought something along the same lines, but he ends up with a different conclusion:
Sin embargo, pienso yo, más honesto que las maruyas de Bogotá o las intrigas de Managua, más certero y valioso que lo que opine un poco de jueces en la Haya, sería hacer un plebiscito entre los habitantes de la isla, y preguntarles si quieren ser independientes, seguir con Colombia o unirse a Nicaragua. Por alguna extraña razón esa alternativa es la que nadie parece considerar.
Nevertheless, I think, something that is more honest than the mixups in Bogotá or the intrigues in Managua, and more to the point and valuable than the opinion of some judges in the Hague, it would be to have a plebiscite among the island's inhabitants and ask them if they wish to be independent, continue with Colombia or join Nicaragua. For some strange reason this alternative is the one no one seems to even consider.
If you wish to hear and see the video of Colombia's National Anthem, Julieth embedded a youtube video of Colombia´s National Anthem as a way to commemorate this date.