Pompi Garcia Mexico Spring 2023 Collection

The favorite verb of the Oaxacans is “to share,” and today Pompi García made this gesture the reason for his debut on the catwalk. Named “Las Servilletas,” (the Spanish word for napkins), García was inspired by the practice of covering gifts — mainly food — with printed napkins as a gesture of gratitude. From tradition to contemporary reinterpretation, the napkins received the magic touch of García´s laboratory, who exploded the drawings in an extra-large format, and printed them on everything from sleeveless dresses and tunics, to bucket hats and sandals.

The sounds of the Chilean singer Mona Bell gave way to the recognizable acoustic notes of Las Hermanas Navarro’s classic cover of “16 Toneladas,” bringing back memories of turning on the radio while sharing a meal with the family, and further emphasized García’s message for this collection. Long capes, mini dresses, and high-waisted pants in a mix of white and deep blue are surely the pieces to consider for next spring.

At the end of the show, the volume was lowered (and so were the prints), and out came a parade of dresses done in pure white with cascades of ruffles that have become the signature of García’s designs. In a harmonious swing between volume and movement, the Oaxacan creative’s grand finale became an occasion to offer to his paisanos something more than just fashion, or in the words of the designer, “a nostalgic history of my life in Oaxaca.”