Análisis de redes de colaboración del Tungurahua Fashion Week: mapeo de empresas, diseñadores, colectivos y la academia en el sector moda

Abstract

This study analyzes the collaborative networks of Tungurahua Fashion Week (TFW), a fashion event held in the province of Tungurahua, Ecuador, across its three editions (2023, 2024, and 2025). The study stems from the need to understand how relationships are structured and fostered among the actors that make up the regional fashion ecosystem: textile and footwear companies, designers, creative collectives, academic institutions, and public agencies. The research adopted a qualitative approach using an inductive method, applying two instruments: semi-structured interviews with eighteen key actors and documentary records compiled from verified institutional sources. The results were validated through triangulation of sources, cross-referencing data from the interviews, institutional documentation, and the theoretical framework of collaborative networks, social capital, and creative ecosystems. The findings reveal that the TFW network is configured as an egocentric network with the Provincial Government of Tungurahua as the central node, accompanied by key intermediary nodes such as CorpoAmbato and the Ninari Foundation. The network has gone through three phases: emergence with informal links, consolidation with initial formal agreements, and institutionalization with trademark registration and national coordination. The network has a positive impact on the local fashion ecosystem by generating social capital, transferring international technical knowledge, and enhancing Tungurahua’s regional profile. However, structural limitations remain: dependence on the central hub, exclusion of peripheral creative actors, and a disconnect between academic and productive approaches.