Mercedes Salazar in Bogotá

In Bogotá, where polished design lives beside exuberant color, Mercedes Salazar creates the kind of accessories that turn getting dressed into a small celebration. Her world is playful, exquisitely handmade and unmistakably Colombian: oversized earrings flutter like tropical wings, raffia bags become sculptural companions, and tiny charms carry stories far beyond their scale.

A Fashion Stroll Through Bogotá

Begin in the city’s elegant north, where leafy streets, galleries and destination shopping set an urbane rhythm. The Mercedes Salazar boutique at Centro Comercial El Retiro makes a natural stop on a Bogotá style itinerary. It is less a place for anonymous basics than an invitation to choose the piece that will define the entire look.

For another expression of Colombia’s refined, color-conscious fashion identity, continue our Silvia Tcherassi in Cartagena fashion stroll. Together, the two houses reveal how Colombian design can move from Caribbean ease to Bogotá wit without losing its sense of place.

The Designer Behind the Magic

Bogotá-born Mercedes Salazar studied technical jewelry in Mexico before returning home to establish her namesake brand. What began with bold, handmade necklaces grew into a broader universe of earrings, bags, charms and objects for the home. Across those categories, her signature remains wonderfully clear: generous scale, saturated color, movement and a deep curiosity about materials.

The beauty is never separated from the hands that make it. The brand says its jewelry and accessories are made by Colombian jewelers and artisans, and that it collaborates with more than 200 artisans around the country to help keep ancestral techniques alive. In the Bogotá atelier, traditional jewelry craft meets a fantastical design language inspired by nature, art and the energy of the universe.

Pieces to Notice

Statement Earrings

Salazar’s earrings are the instant mood-lifters: birds, flowers, wings and celestial forms rendered with theatrical lightness. Look for pairs with movement and a strong silhouette. They frame the face beautifully in photographs and make even a crisp white shirt feel intentional.

Woven Raffia Bags

The bags are equally expressive. Current designs such as the Swan Basket, Shelly Bag, Cherry Mini Basket and Mini Jungle Bag turn natural fibers into collectible conversation pieces. The El Edén story is especially meaningful: the brand describes natural straw shaped by more than 200 artisan families and finished through traditional craft in its Bogotá atelier.

Charms and Amulets

For a subtler entry into the world, choose a single charm or amulet. These smaller pieces layer easily onto a travel wardrobe and feel personal without becoming precious. A playful bag charm is also an elegant way to refresh a favorite tote already in your closet.

How Jet Set LatAM Would Style It

Let one Mercedes Salazar piece lead. For Bogotá, we love architectural black trousers, a silk ivory blouse, a cropped jacket and vivid earrings. For Cartagena, pair a woven mini bag with a fluid linen dress and flat metallic sandals. At dinner, pull the hair back, keep the neckline clean and allow a sculptural pair of earrings to do the talking.

The most fashion-forward approach is contrast: exuberant jewelry against tailoring, a whimsical basket beside a minimal column dress, or a tropical motif worn in the city. It feels sophisticated because the styling gives the craftsmanship room to breathe.

A Souvenir with a Point of View

Mercedes Salazar offers more than a finishing touch. Her pieces hold the optimism of color, the intimacy of handwork and the wit of a designer who sees nature as an endless cabinet of curiosities. Choose the earring that makes you smile, the bag that starts a conversation or the charm that becomes your travel talisman.

Sources: Mercedes Salazar — About; Mercedes Salazar — 20 Years of Jewelry with Soul and Spirit; Mercedes Salazar — Stores; Mercedes Salazar — El Edén.