Puerta Negra: Rescuing Heritage Through Fashion Arrives in NYC

Catalina Quintana @cata.queen

One of my latest fashion obsessions is Puerta Negra, a brand founded by Catalina Quintana Wallis in Caracas, Venezuela, in 2021. It focuses on style rooted in heritage, celebrating the cultural and artistic legacy of clothing, textiles, and artisanal practices passed down through generations.

Puerta Negra encapsulates the traditions, techniques, and unique styles that define the evolution of fashion. It reinterprets traditional elements in a contemporary way, bridging the past and the future. Rooted in Venezuelan heritage, the brand crafts exquisite garments that transcend time, drawing inspiration from film, architecture, music, and other creative expressions. Each collection exists within a uchronic timeline—a conceptual wormhole where the boundaries between past, present, and future intertwine seamlessly.

Meticulous craftsmanship is Puerta Negra’s hallmark, producing timeless yet futuristic pieces. Their latest collection, Nave, will be showcased in New York from November 22–24 at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. The collection explores the concept of time travel, merging sleek silhouettes and rich textures to evoke the dynamic tension between preservation and evolution.

The Puerta Negra team is composed of dedicated women who have devoted their lives to fine craftsmanship, from construction and heritage preservation to pattern-making and sewing. Each piece in the collection has been entirely crafted in Caracas at the brand’s atelier, reflecting the brand’s commitment to honoring history while envisioning new possibilities in fashion.

“More than a fashion label, Puerta Negra seeks to become an imaginarium—a portal where design and memory converge. By preserving cultural narratives and imagining new timelines, we redefine what it means to wear stories. We produce limited and exclusive quantities at a human pace,” says the brand.

For more information, follow them on Instagram: @_puertanegra
@titinapenzini