The desert dresses in haute couture: RFD Latin American Creators brought Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada together with Latin American talent in the Atacama Desert

Amid palm trees, heritage architecture, and the endless skies of northern Chile, Latin American fashion experienced an evening as unexpected as it was memorable.

In the heart of the oasis of Pica, where the desert emerges between history and landscape, fashion found a setting as singular as it was symbolic. The main square of this northern Chilean town was transformed into an international runway where eleven collections from Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Spain engaged in dialogue with the territory, culture, and contemporary challenges of the industry.

The event was part of RFD Latin American Creators 2026, a creative platform driven by commercial engineer and cultural manager Johana Fernández, which seeks to position Chile as a new meeting point for Latin America’s creative industries while also raising an urgent conversation: transforming the textile dumping ground of the Atacama Desert into an opportunity for innovation, design, and rethinking the industry.

For more than two hours, emerging and established designers presented proposals in which contemporary aesthetics intertwined with circular economy principles, textile recycling, and the territorial narratives of northern Chile. The result was one of the most emotional and collaborative runways developed by RFD, where identity, sustainability, and experimentation merged into a single creative narrative.

One of the most anticipated moments of the night was the participation of iconic Spanish designer Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, who returned to a runway in Chile after fifteen years, doing so precisely in Pica—a location selected by Fernández to launch her spin-off in Chile. Her collection—true to her vibrant and optimistic visual universe—brought an international dimension to a night marked by Latin American creative diversity, while also showcasing work inspired by the last time she participated in RFD Chile. This collection was originally presented at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in 2025 and is now being showcased in Pica.

Following her participation, the designer highlighted the deeply emotional character of the event and its unique connection with the territory.

“This wonderful town… it has been a magical night. I loved everything, but what I liked most—besides the spectacular location and the church—was the music. It moved me because it was very beautiful. It has been an extraordinarily emotional event, with local talent and circular fashion.”

The Spanish creator also emphasized the impact that initiatives like this can have in the face of global environmental challenges.

“Circular fashion is extremely important, and what is being done here in Chile—a country with one of the purest natural environments in the world—fighting textile waste in this part of the planet is extraordinary. I hope they succeed because they are close to achieving it. It is a miracle, and I love being a witness and participant in this miracle. Meeting Jo and RFD, thanks to Mesa (former creative director of her brand), is part of my second story with Chile.”

The runway in Pica was the culmination of an agenda that began in Iquique with the VI CIMACS Congress, a space for reflection dedicated to innovation in circular fashion, textile waste management, and the opportunities that arise when creativity intersects with sustainability.

For Johana Fernández, founder of Runway Fashion Design, this project responds to a long-term vision aimed at transforming one of the region’s greatest environmental challenges into a platform for creative development. “The RFD organization continues in this mission to put an end to the textile dumping ground. We will keep going until the end. The day that landfill no longer exists, only then will we be able to say that our work is done.” Fernández also emphasized that the magnitude of the challenge requires broad collaboration among different stakeholders.

“Having one of the world’s largest textile dumping grounds is tremendous, and the work cannot stop. Not only from RFD, but also from regional, national, and international organizations, because it is a global problem.” She also highlighted the role of strategic partnerships that have helped consolidate the initiative in Tarapacá.

“I highlight the collaboration between the public and private sectors. The support of Corfo, Teck, ZOFRI, Stanley Chile, and the Arturo Prat University is what allows us to witness something like what happened in Pica today.”

The initiative is co-financed by Corfo through its Viraliza Eventos instrument and is supported by Teck Quebrada Blanca, ZOFRI S.A., Stanley, and the Arturo Prat University.

More than a fashion show, RFD Latin American Creators is projected as a platform that articulates fashion, innovation, and territorial development, positioning Chile and its different regions on the international map of sustainable fashion.

The next step will be to deepen the internationalization of this creative platform, consolidating a Latin American circuit where emerging designers and global references converge around a new vision of the industry: fashion capable of transforming textile waste into design, innovation, and future—exactly what the industry needs.