AMAZONAS

LATIN AMERICAN FASHION DESIGNERS

coco chumino

Ángel Salinas Montenegro, or "Ángel Chumino," as he also calls himself, is a 32-year-old Peruvian citizen. His story began in Virú, 45 minutes north of Trujillo, in the La Libertad region, where he was born and raised. In several interviews, Salinas Montenegro has stated that he comes from a hardworking and enterprising family of four children (including himself). He was under the watchful eye of his great-aunt for a long time, as his mother divorced his father and had to open a bakery to earn a living and support them. In his stories, Ángel recalls that his family had "a thousand jobs": not only did they sell bread, but they also rented sound equipment, baked cakes, and sold basic necessities and sweets from their own warehouse. But that's not all, because his mother also acquired a small stable to plant corn and sugar cane which she would later sell.

His first step was to launch a website called "Calzado Trujillo," where he sold various models. He familiarized himself with the industry, took courses, and experimented with designs until he perfected his technique. In 2018, their project evolved, and Coco Chumino, a brand focused on high-quality footwear, was officially born. They abandoned synthetic materials in favor of genuine leather and meticulous finishing. Their offering attracted attention at fashion events and in shopping malls, but it wasn't without its challenges. One of the biggest obstacles they faced was legal opposition from the Coco Chanel brand, which tried to prevent them from using the name. After a legal battle, Ángel managed to retain his brand identity. Furthermore, on social media, their designs were criticized as "clown shoes." Instead of being defeated by the ridicule, he transformed the criticism into a viral strategy that propelled them to success.