The runway is enveloped in a mist that evokes the mountains of the Andes. The sound of the Andean quena and an acoustic guitar breaks the silence, setting the pace as Flower, Prince, edua, Mar, and Cuba — five trans and non-binary models from Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, and Colombia — enter the Brooklyn venue. They model the new collection by Mundanas R-evolutions, the brand of Peruvian artist Yoella Cubas, at Upcycling New York Fashion Week.
The music playing in the background — the Peruvian huayno song “La Flor de Retama” — sets the mood and blends seamlessly with the upcycled streetwear pieces on display. Each piece is uniquely inspired by Cusco’s chicherías and picanterías, urban food markets where traditional dishes are sold.
An oversized pink sports shirt with silky sleeves and floral embroidery; a cape made from a tablecloth patterned with fruit motifs, paired with shorts and neon green wool booties; a white dress that lets red threads fall like veins, bearing the Peruvian flag punctured with holes representing those killed in recent protests against the political class.
Applause and cheers break loose when Prince steps onto the runway holding a sign that has recently taken on deeper meaning, as the LGBTQ+ immigrant community is systemically targeted: “Fight for Trans Migrants.”
“For the past five years, I’ve been selling my pieces while always thinking about their ability to communicate at first glance,” says Yoella Cubas. “About the possibility of expressing something political through clothing, without having to say it out loud.”
The models’ participation represents the powerful bond that began in 2021 between Yoella Cubas’ designs and New York City’s LGBTQ+ community. Her collections — described by the artist as disruptive because of the new forms created by combining preexisting garments — found a home on the bodies of LGBTQ+ people in the city.
Alongside her sales, Cubas decided to donate a percentage of the proceeds to Bodyhack and others, so that trans and nonbinary people — including Latinx immigrants — could access basic services such as gender-affirming surgeries, hormone treatment, housing, and financial support needed in some cases because of unemployment or the inability to work due to fear of ICE enforcement.
These community needs are not new, but they have intensified following federal budget cuts to organizations that ensure LGBTQ+ people can access essential services.
A Cross-Border Connection Takes Root in New York City
Mundanas R-evolutions arrived in New York City through viento izquierdo ugaz, an organizer of Bodyhack, a monthly party held at the Nowadays dance club in Queens.
“In 2020, viento moved to Peru and began using my pieces in their work as a fashion stylist, where the models were members of Lima’s LGBTQ+ community,” Yoella Cubas recalls. “Later, viento returned to New York and told me they wanted to bring my pieces to Bodyhack. I immediately said yes.”
At the time, viento izquierdo ugaz says, the goal of the event was to raise funds to support trans and non-binary persons recovering from surgeries.
“But these government budget cuts have forced Bodyhack, like other fundraising spaces, to take on a role almost like the state,” they said. “In a way, it has pushed us to redirect resources to reach more people because right now there’s no support. How do we stretch the money? How do we make sure it reaches more trans people?”
In September 2025, with funds raised through small businesses and brands such as Mundanas R-evolutions, Bodyhack was able to send financial support to Underground Laboratories, an organization that helps Black trans people in Philadelphia access healthcare and employment services. This past January, they also raised funds for Transgrediendo, an intercultural collective in Jackson Heights, Queens, that supports trans Latina migrants and sex workers.
The significance of Yoella Cubas’ designs for the LGBTQ+ community were on full display at the Upcycling New York Fashion Week, where trans and non-binary immigrant models walked the runway wearing her art.
One of the models, edua mercedes, who is from Colombia’s Andean Quindío region, says that for her the runway became a space for mutual celebration — something that is rare given the high levels of violence that trans people like her are currently facing.
“Yoella’s work is about taking what already exists and giving it new life — turning it into a celebration, which is what we experienced backstage on the day of the show,” she said. “All of this is happening while systems are collapsing across Abya Yala (an indigenous term for the Americas) and people are having to adapt to new forms of violence, scarcity, and war.”
The runway show ended with applause and passionate standing ovations.
“Sometimes you don’t know whether a fashion space is the right place to talk about something difficult,” viento izquierdo said. “It’s beautiful to feel that people really understood it.”
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