FASHION IS (STILL) A DEEPLY HUMAN INDUSTRY

Public relations is an art in the industry and a crucial link that allows brands to connect with their contemporary environment, helping audiences understand how to position business names in their minds, what they represent, and the dreams they propose.

In a hyper-connected world where brands compete not only for attention but for meaning, PR is more than just a media amplifier; it has evolved into the art of creating authentic connections. How can a company become a story that resonates in people's daily lives? And what role does strategic communication play in humanizing projects so they transcend as memorable experiences?

Chucho Martínez, founder of the agency Centilia, knows that the answer lies in PR understood as emotional architecture. With a career dedicated to blurring the line between brands and their audiences, Martínez has positioned Centilia as a Latin American benchmark for those who share the belief that beyond press clips, PR is a tool that builds bridges and connects corporate values with collective aspirations.

Under his leadership, Centilia has redefined PR as a cultural connector: a tool for translating brand identities into relatable narratives where authenticity and empathy are paramount. From disruptive startups to established companies, his work demonstrates that positioning is not about occupying media spaces but about inhabiting places in the social imagination.

In this edition of Faces Changing the Industry, Bazar by Hotbook speaks with Chucho Martínez, who breaks down how modern PR humanizes, connects, and ultimately positions a brand's name in our minds—and perhaps our hearts.

This is Chucho Martínez's vision, where PR doesn't just inform culture; it moves culture.

Bazar by Hotbook: Post-COVID, the fashion and luxury industry has transformed significantly. Digital channels seemed to be the dominant platform; however, we realized the desire for conversations and physical spaces. In a context where digital redefines exclusivity, how have PR strategies for luxury brands evolved without losing their defining essence? What is the right formula for a PR strategy today?

Chucho Martínez: I believe what we do in PR is primarily communicate. So, of course, [the pandemic] changed how we communicate, and naturally, the formulas changed. But what we learned is that each brand must act differently depending on the consumer they are targeting and the audience they want to attract. Today, a PR strategy can't be done as a copy-paste approach. I believe each brand breathes differently, lives differently.

And I think the consumer changed as well. They became more demanding but also less loyal. They became more consistent but also change their minds quickly. Consumers evolved in various directions. So, I believe today there are no foolproof recipes for PR.

Each brand must adopt a different strategy. Anyone who tells you the same strategy works for everyone is, I believe, very mistaken.

BbH: Each region around the world presents unique cultural qualities, which can be challenging when crafting a global luxury brand's story. How do you think luxury brands build narratives that resonate in diverse markets like Latin America, where local identity is so strong? What mistakes should they avoid?

CM: For a long time, since around 2017 or 2018, brands have been trying to build local narratives. This "global goes local" idea is increasingly adopted and better received.

I think Latin America is a great example. During my time at Ferragamo, my team and I created Latin American limited editions, and I believe they were very successful because people embraced them in unimaginable ways. We attracted new audiences, won new clients, but above all, we connected with consumer sentiment, which I think is the most important aspect of these types of editions. It's essential that brands pay more attention to what is happening globally and, most importantly, in Latin America. We are a region driven by many emotions and feelings. And I think that is something that encourages consumption.

I increasingly see this need to learn more about Mexico, to understand that the Mexican consumer is a significant luxury and fashion customer, but with specific ways, customs, and preferences. And I love that. More and more global brands are landing their narratives in the local sphere, with subtle nods like the new Tiffany store on Masaryk in Mexico City, featuring a series of Latin American designers, or product interventions like those Ferragamo created.

BbH: In Latin America and Mexico, luxury fashion is influenced by countless factors, from craftsmanship to regional consumer preferences for foreign brands. Beyond the natural resources and craftsmanship that have become synonymous with the region, what unique opportunities does Mexico offer global luxury? Is it possible to build a luxury brand in Mexico? Could Mexican luxury redefine outdated ideas of traditional luxury and propose a new vision?

CM: The first thing is to understand that the Mexican luxury consumer is considered very important worldwide. Mexicans travel much more than people from many other nationalities, right?

So, they are very knowledgeable about brands and know exactly what they want to buy. For example, there are brands that have just launched in Mexico and have received an excellent reception, like Amiri, which originated in Los Angeles. Mexican consumers heavily shop for these brands in the U.S. The proximity to the United States makes us very affluent in luxury and well-versed in brands.

What is needed to create a real luxury industry for a Mexican brand is to build an industry itself. Today, there are highly respected Mexican brands—Hanson, Lorena Saravia, Cancino, Jakampot, Sandra Weil, Julia y Renata—that have impressive credentials to become genuine luxury brands. I think there's a great opportunity to build a luxury brand because we have everything here.

However, what we still need is to build a solid industry structure.

More and more, clients and industry contacts speak with pride about Mexican craftsmanship, a pride that was rare 18 years ago when I started. Today, this value in artisanship is creating powerful fashion brands that thrive abroad but can also gain traction within Mexico. What we need now is to build a solid infrastructure to support this growth.

BbH: Logistics infrastructure and inequality in the region are often barriers for emerging brands in LatAm. How can PR help brands navigate these challenges without overshadowing their aspirational narrative?

CM: This is one of our main challenges as an industry in Latin America. Even large brands struggle to bring samples to Latin American countries, and in many places, especially in southern Latin America, the markup is tremendous. I think what PR does is try—it's a tool that can be quite adaptable. When people don't receive collections at the same time as global launches, the communication and PR calendar can be adjusted to work around what is currently available in stores. There's a lot of work to be done, particularly regarding protectionist governments and similar issues.

However, I believe PR is a very useful tool, especially for announcing what has arrived or what is about to arrive when you have certainty. But definitely, this is one of the major hurdles even global brands face in our region. The import/export system has yet to become seamless, practical, and efficient. Ultimately, the consumer is the one who suffers, receiving products late and with a markup largely caused by local taxes.

BbH: I'd like to delve deeper into the democratization of luxury with a couple of questions: Today, luxury demands transparency. How does Centilia incorporate elements like slow fashion or fair trade in narratives that feel inspiring rather than instructional? Additionally, TikTok and massive influencers have broken the mystique of luxury. What is the ideal balance between digital accessibility and preserving a brand's mystery? Is it still necessary to maintain that sense of mystery today?

CM: Answering the first part of the question, I believe that when working with luxury brands like Bottega Veneta, the narrative of fair trade and traceability unfolds naturally. By understanding that it's a heritage house, with attention to detail and everything that comes with a luxury brand like Bottega, this narrative emerges organically.

I think brands began speaking about sustainability and transparency, like Mango, for example, through their products or specific categories that contribute to sustainability. However, no industry has fully embraced this topic yet because it's incredibly complex.

So, as PR professionals, we aim to create stories around the brand's inherent narrative and what it can contribute to humanity.

And I believe that mystery is an incredible thing.

What we saw with The Row, for instance, mirrors what Balenciaga did in its time, where no photos or videos were allowed. But I also believe that depending on the brand and the ecosystem it aims to create, these strategies can vary.

I believe some brands thrive on discretion and secrecy, while others don't benefit as much from that approach. And I also think there's a time and place for everything. So once again, brands are unique—they breathe differently, feel different, and I think each plan must adapt to what each brand wants to achieve. However, some brands excel through secrecy, while others may not.

BbH: Lastly, we’d love to hear your perspective on the future of the industry and a trending topic: with the rise of generative AI, how do you imagine storytelling will evolve? Will humans remain at the heart of these stories, or will we see brands delegating their voice to 'empathetic' algorithms? What role do you believe creativity plays as a catalyst for change in brands today?

CM: This is a very interesting question because it's something I often wonder about when I read or hear discussions on the topic. For me, fashion and luxury are more anthropological exercises than aesthetic ones.

I believe brands—or rather humanity itself—cannot currently be imagined without the presence of brands. What would our lives be like without Ford... without McDonald's, without Louis Vuitton, without Rolex, without Cartier, without Bottega, without Jaguar Land Rover? I believe dialogues must continue to build from the human perspective.

One of the core principles of luxury is emphasizing the human touch. A Range Rover or a Defender wouldn’t be the same without the human craftsmanship and design behind it, stemming from someone’s vision.

Think of things that may not seem like fashion but feel like luxury products, such as Don Julio 1942, where the hands of the jimadores and agave artisans are present.

So, I believe luxury brand narratives will always remain human because, beyond being a defining trait of luxury itself, it's what connects audiences to the product. However, I do believe AI will build narratives—especially visual ones—that will have greater impact by playing with hyper-realistic concepts and the infatuation brands can create with consumers. I believe it will be more of a tool that leads us to new creative spaces. In visual terms, AI will be highly useful, but I’d like to think the future lies in building human narratives rather than relying solely on artificial intelligence.

Chucho Martínez's insights paint a vivid picture of an evolving industry where authenticity, cultural relevance, and strategic communication are key to positioning luxury brands in consumers' minds.

As brands navigate shifting consumer behaviors, logistics challenges, and the growing demand for transparency, the human touch remains at the heart of successful storytelling. PR, as Martínez envisions it, is not merely about generating buzz—it's about building emotional bridges that connect brands to their audiences, ensuring they resonate not just with their minds, but also with their hearts.