Interview: Boho Expo Launch This Month Will Showcase Local Colombian Designers Like DE.LOR

The Boho Expo will launch this later this month in Bogotá with the goal of providing a new location to showcase designers and creative artisans in Colombia.

When it opens on September 15 in the Usaquen neighborhood of the capital, the new installation will feature a series of shops full of fashion, jewelry, accessories, art, and more. While it will feature a wide range of Colombian brands, the overarching focus will center on a few key design concepts: creativity, local, artisanal, and handmade.

“All the brands offer quality, original designs, and innovative ideas. Everything in Boho is 100% made in Colombia, and most of the designs are handmade.” – Vivianne Delor, creative director and designer at her brand DE.LOR

The location, which has been developed alongside well-known creative director Eva Giraldo, will also include the Boho Food Market to bring gastronomy together with the creative focus.

To learn more about the concept and the companies that will be showcasing their brands at Boho Expo, we reached out to Vivianne Delor, designer and creative director of DE.LOR brand.

Together with her sister and graphic designer, Stephanie López, they have been building their jewelry and fashion accessories brand, something they hope will grow even further at the Boho Expo. The company’s designs will be for sale at the expo later this month and can also be seen on Instagram and Facebook.

Necklace by DE.LOR. (Photo credit: DE.LOR)

Jared Wade: What is the Boho Expo?

Vivianne Delor: In the discovery of unique ideas in Colombia, Boho Expo is a pop-up store concept that will celebrate Colombian creativity, design, and manufacturing permanently. Their mission is to position Colombia as a center of creativity on an international level. You will experience a boho philosophy where all the brands offer quality, original designs, and innovative ideas.

Everything in Boho is 100% made in Colombia, and most of the designs are handmade. It is located in the neighborhood of Usaquen where many people, including tourists, come to experience unique shops, artisanal fairs, and great restaurants.

Jared Wade: How did you become involved and what are you hoping to get out of participating in the event?

Vivianne Delor: I had been looking for boutiques in Bogotá that would showcase handmade designs but also that where more connected to fashion as art. So when I saw the opportunity to be part of Boho Expo I did not hesitate to apply. It offers exactly what I was looking for — not only designs but the whole brand experience.

I want people to know more about our philosophy and unique technique. It is the opportunity to successfully and creatively show that my designs are special. I feel it is time for the brand to expand and offer a direct route from designer to client.

Jared Wade: Can you tell me a little bit more about DE.LOR? When did you get started in design and how has your brand grown over the past few years? How do you describe your aesthetic?

“Boho Expo is a pop-up store concept that will celebrate Colombian creativity, design, and manufacturing permanently,” says Vivianne Delor, creative designer of DE.LOR. (Photo credit: DE.LOR)

Vivianne Delor: DE.LOR was born in 2012 when I graduated from fashion apparel at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Atlanta in the United States. My senior collection was inspired by pre-Columbian art and jewelry. I have always had admiration for their gold pieces and symbolism.

Before starting at SCAD, I graduated from fashion merchandise at AIU and worked with TOUS, a Spanish jewelry brand where my interest on jewelry design grew even more. Since then, I have been working on DE.LOR’s unique technique and developing the concept. I designed for other brands at Atlanta, but when I came back to Bogotá, in 2014, is when I started to showcase DE.LOR pieces at the brands’ showroom and at different boutiques.

My designs focus on handmade ethnic details. They are a reflection of inspirations from pre-Columbian art and jewelry, nature, and boho-styles. The collections feature textures, attention to detail, and construction that allows the wearer’s personality to shine through simple elegance. I call it modern/boho.

Jared Wade: Are you seeing more collaborative ventures like this in the creative space in Bogotá that bring together different designers, artists, and others with the world of gastronomy?

Vivianne Delor: There are different fairs that do offer the concept, but they are not permanent. I believe the Boho Expo is the first creative space that offers this idea in Bogotá.

Jared Wade: Colombia has always had a reputation for being creative and fashion-minded, but is this increasing even more? Overall, do you think the market for your type of work is growing? Why or why not?

Vivianne Delor: It is increasing, especially because Colombia is producing more talented designers that want to innovate and focus on competing in the internatIonal market. Also, tourism has been increasing over the past years, and foreigners are interested in local design. Designers have to understand that tourist prefer handmade and 100% made in Colombia. We offer good quality and design at a lower price which is very attractive to tourist.

Scarf and earrings by DE.LOR. (Photo credit: DE.LOR)

Jared Wade: How can people buy or see more of you work, both at the Boho Expo and just generally?

Vivianne Delor: We will have a pop-up store permanently at Boho Expo and we will also sell through Boho’s e-commerce portal.

DE.LOR also soon will be launching its own online store where you will find different collections. Our whole idea is to offer unique designs and variety so we have certain collections shown at Boho and others at our online store. Please stop by our social media accounts, on Instagram and Facebook at @de.lorstudio, for new collections coming up.