In Todas Mis Flores, photographer Isaias Souvervielle and designer Maxime Cadena-Chercover weave a vibrant narrative celebrating Latinx heritage, where traditional influences, maximalist designs, and cultural storytelling redefine modern femininity.
By Madelaine Woo & Ashanti Morgan
Photographer, Isaias Souvervielle
Photographer Assistant, Junsoo Lee
Designer, Sagradesa
Stylist, Maxime Cadena-Chercover
Stylist Assistant, Tiamri Ryan Russel
Hair & Makeup, Paola Manigat
Jewellery, Felipe Sanclemente
When shaping a visual narrative that honoured the collective identity of Latin American roots, Isaias Souvervielle envisioned a “potluck of cultures” unified under the shared Latinx experience.
The Vainqueur-exclusive editorial, Todas Mis Flores—meaning “All My Flowers”—began as Souvervielle’s desire to unearth and celebrate Latinx and Latiné creatives within Toronto’s fashion scene. Drawing from his experiences growing up between Monterrey, Mexico, and Montréal, Québec, Souvervielle masterfully blends these two worlds, exploring the interplay of what he calls a “traditional meets modern” vision. This vision was delicately woven on set, where subtle nods to Frida Kahlo’s iconic portraits appeared through hair lacing, and Colombian orchids accented each look. On set and through the lens, the editorial became a thoughtful homage to the cultural touchstones that shaped each collaborator’s journey.
Souvervielle says many Latin-American communities favour traditionalism but there is a cultural evolution with Latinx, which allows individuals to broaden their identity and diversify their roots without gender restrictions.
Model Maritza Campos wears the ‘Palmira’ maxi dress from Sagradesa’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection.
By contextualizing beauty and fashion photography through a diasporic lens, Souvervielle sought to reflect the personal stories of creatives who navigated life between Canada and Latin America.
Partnering with him was sustainable designer Maxime Cadena-Chercover of Sagradesa, who drew inspiration from her Colombian roots. She weaved together vibrant colours, floral motifs, feminine silhouettes, fluid movement, bold prints, and revitalized materials.
Orchids, a symbol of beauty and resilience in Latin American culture, delicately adorn each look to honour the shared heritage and evoke the spirit of ancestral roots.
Sagradesa’s ‘Lupita’ dress is a layered design that pairs chocolate-hued stretch fabric with a white tiered mini skirt. The piece gained popularity on the 2024 Juno Awards red carpet, where it was worn by Saskatoon artist Katie Tupper.
In large part, Sourvervielle’s mood board and Cadena-Chercover’s designs were an ode to 90s telenovelas— what Sourvervielle describes as “larger than life women.” Mexican actress Itatí Cantoral and her nostalgic, warm-toned makeup on the hit series Maria la del Barrio were a huge inspiration in shaping the visual storytelling of Todas Mis Flores. Women like Cantoral, who became the blueprint of mothers, grandmothers and aunts in several Latin communities— became central to the creative’s visual storytelling. “Strong, empowering women that defined a lot of things in our life,” says Sourvervielle.
The hybrid fluidity between the traditional and modern aspects of Latinx culture became personified through models Marisa Gallemit (bottom left) and Maritza Campos, who wore key pieces from Sagradesa’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection. Gallemit’s styling represented a maternal character exuding wisdom with a maxi dress, Catalina. The white floral patterns, bunched sleeves, and a pinched gather spilling to the ground is Cadena-Chercover’s rendition of a pollera — modernizing to a sultry appeal with a slightly exaggerated side slit. Complementing the theme of sexy empowerment for women of all ages, Gallemit’s second look by Sagradesa, Por Vida, shows off a dress with a high-low asymmetric hem that cascades into a train.
Campos continues the sexy empowerment for women by wearing the Lupita dress, which features a chocolate stretch fabric that ripples over a white tiered mini skirt, with hints of lace at the open neckline. These design details create a fun layered look that is unafraid to challenge the status quo of modesty. The Lupita creates a space for body positivity, encouraging an embrace of curves through confident cuts and seams. From the elegant reveal of the shoulders to the daring exposure of the legs, it invites wearers to showcase their shape.
The Latiné designer’s journey to creating distinct cultural-induced garments is manifested through a balance of modesty and bold sensuality: daring low necklines, sleeveless cuts, and open backs. With an eco-conscious approach, Cadena-Chercover’s draping serves as the cornerstone of her creative process, allowing her to explore experimental pieces with artistic bunching, ruching, and fluidly layered silhouettes. In addition, she combines the inspiration of mother nature and the rhythmic energy of Neoperreo to perfect the distinct ebb and flow of Sagradesa.
Sagradesa’s ‘Por Vida' dress reinterprets Latin American heritage with a structured, high-low silhouette often seen in many South American cultures.
The ‘Catalina' draws inspiration from the cultural pollera garment, with gathered sleeves, and a cascading train.
Lovestory
The collaboration between Sagradesa and Anonimo blends a maximalist vision with eclectic cultural jewellery—emboldening the playful side of femininity with intricate layers, clashing textiles and bold embellishments.
Worn by Campos, the Lovestory dress epitomizes Sagradesa’s brand celebration of maximalism. Collaborating with fashion house Anonimo, Cadena-Chercover crafted a fitted midi-dress that brims with playful extravagance—decorated with charms, buttons, mini teddy bears, frilled trims, and trinkets. Taking cues from the aesthetic of Neoperreo-pop musician Isabella Lovestory, whose music video Botoxxx featured a corset encrusted with layered charms, Cadena-Chercover’s reinterpretation captures that same uninhibited spirit. The stacked details along the bodice, straps, and hem create a vivid and whimsical silhouette, embracing a hyper-feminine energy.
Jeweller Felipe Sanclemente, trained by a Colombian stone setter, contributed to the look with a one-of-a-kind piece featuring pink sapphires secured using a channel setting—a technique designed to prevent stones from loosening over time.
Sagradesa’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection will soon be available on Sagradesa.com starting December 2024.