The Hecho en Puerto Rico Gala will be held on Friday, October 30, starting at 7:30 PM, at the historic Fairmont El San Juan Hotel in Isla Verde. Decorators Emilio Olabarrieta and Julio Cintrón designed this year’s decor around the evolution of Puerto Rico through the decades, using metals, mirrors, innovative materials and contrasts of light and darkness for an elegant, contemporary look.
It is transcendence, it is evolution
"It is transcendence, it is evolution," Olabarrieta said. Black will play a leading role to accentuate elegance, while color reflects light and multiplies its effects across the materials. The design also incorporates locally grown flowers: an uncommon vanda orchid in intense purple or violet, produced in Puerto Rico.
Cintrón said the concept is a radical turn from last year’s rustic, natural aesthetic. Instead of uniform round tables, guests will find lounge areas and high tables, offering more freedom despite a strict dress code, which this year is formal rather than the guayabera used in previous editions, matching the hotel setting and the reflective decor.
The organizers say the result balances futuristic visual projections with references to local production and the island’s transformation over time.