Designer, Genaro Rivas challenges a modern climate of fast fashion and steers the course for an ethical way forward with sustainably-minded practices.
For Peruvian designer Genaro Rivas, it is not enough to simply create eye-catching wearable art; he seeks to generate an impact that extends beyond the aesthetic. While cultivating a dark, gothic-industrial style with his Spring-Summer 2026 menswear collection, “A Feast for Crows,” the designer approaches his work with a lighter purpose: striving for greater circularity and sustainability in the fashion industry. The winner of the grand prize at Vogue Business’s Visa Young Creators: Recycle the Runway Awards, Rivas sees circularity as “designing with intention: from the beginning to the end of a garment’s life.” In an era of fast fashion, with its ephemeral trends, questionable production standards, and throwaway mentality, Rivas is slowing down and looking at the bigger picture: “It’s about considering how a piece is made, who makes it, and what happens to it after it’s worn.”
“Sharing knowledge and supporting others on a similar journey is part of my ethos as a designer.”
While based in London, Peru is never far away; it is woven into the very fabric of his designs and broader creative vision. Rivas blends the artistry and influences of both his homes through his work with Peruvian and English independent makers and artisans, allowing each to inform and elevate one another. “My heritage is always present in my work, whether through textures, silhouettes, colors, or materials. I try to incorporate Peruvian techniques and fabrics whenever possible, reinterpreting them through a contemporary lens.”
As an international student in the U.K., Rivas realized that he would have to design the tools he was missing; he created an accessible manual for building a fashion brand. “Sharing knowledge and supporting others on a similar journey is part of my ethos as a designer. My work is about connection, community, and culture woven together through fashion.”
Being sustainably-minded is deeply enmeshed in his design mission: “[Sustainability] is about building systems of care for people, for culture, and the planet. [It] must be both cultural and material; how we make and who we make with matters as much as what we make.” From utilizing recovered materials to incorporating zero-waste cutting techniques, Rivas brings greater awareness and diligence to upholding circularity. He adds long-term value to each garment, treating each in a manner best described as ‘humane.’
“I’m deeply inspired by designers who merge craft with innovation and who put ethics at the heart of their practice. Brands like Stella McCartney, Marine Serre, Bethany Williams, and Gabriela Hearst have all shown how sustainability can be visionary rather than restrictive.“
His designs are not throwaway fabrics in a cycle of fleeting trends, but enduring creations with a lifespan that can be mended and resold. A Feast of Crows employs a variety of techniques and fabrics, including recovered denim, laser engraving, hand embroidery, and 3D printing. Rivas even gives discarded garments a second chance at life, transforming the quotidian into the quintessential: he teamed up with Metro de Lima y Callao, designing accessories from reused uniforms from the metro system, crafted by women.
Recognizing the integral help of artisans in bringing his designs to life, Rivas is a champion of fair wages within this collaborative dynamic. Beginning with a project in 2020, Rivas “aimed to be as fair and conscious as possible when assigning wages […]” He later transformed this ethical awareness into a dissertation during his master’s degree, conducting interviews with artisans and creative workers to gain a deeper understanding of ‘fair pay.’ Taking the knowledge gleaned from this effort, Rivas created an efficient code of ethics: “I developed a framework that includes transparency, dialogue, and contextual value, which I now apply to all my collaborations. It’s a living methodology, one that evolves with every project.”
He finds inspiration in sustainably-minded brands and designers who have come before him, setting a galvanizing standard for younger artists like Rivas. “I’m deeply inspired by designers who merge craft with innovation and who put ethics at the heart of their practice. Brands like Stella McCartney, Marine Serre, Bethany Williams, and Gabriela Hearst have all shown how sustainability can be visionary rather than restrictive. I also admire labels that work closely with local communities or deadstock materials and rethink the traditional fashion calendar.”
Winning the Young Creators Award has proven to be both a meaningful milestone and a launch pad in Rivas’s design career, a confirmation that his admirable efforts are paying off: “It was the first time I received recognition outside of my home country, and it gave me a real sense that I’m moving in the right direction. It also helped me connect with a wider network of mentors and potential collaborators, which is vital for any independent designer.” With his eyes set firmly on the horizon, Rivas hopes to collaborate with a fashion conglomerate or strategic partner “to scale my brand sustainably—without compromising my values. I believe that combining purpose-led creativity with strong business infrastructure is the way forward.”
Homepage image by Emil Gentes, inside image by Anna Voelske.
