Retail Concept South to North Pops Up in Austin Celebrating Latin American Craftsmanship
The space welcomes luxury brands for a multi-month stay on South Congress Ave.
For Luisa Babarczy and Alejandra Bravo, South to North is the realization of a long-held dream. The duo, originally from Colombia, Babarczy from Bogotá and Bravo from Medellín, have called Texas home for more than 20 years. “We’re very Colombian but also very Texan at this point,” Babarczy says. “We have a bicultural expertise.
Both attended the University of Texas at Austin, and though they now live in Houston, opening a store in Austin feels like a homecoming. “We walked these streets as broke college students,” Bravo recalls. “To now have a store here, in one of the most iconic shopping districts in the country, is incredibly special.”
The two met in 2019 through mutual friends, drawn together by a shared passion for fashion and brand storytelling. Babarczy had spent years shaping the editorial and visual identity of emerging designers, while Bravo, who previously worked in the corporate world for a Fortune 500 company, pivoted to fashion and pursued a master’s degree at Parsons in New York. Their complementary skill sets led them to a common realization: many Latin American brands had beautiful designs but lacked the operational structure to succeed in new markets.
“I worked with so many brands that had incredible ideas but struggled with the business side,” Babarczy says.“ For Latin American labels entering the U.S. market, sustainability depends on organization.” Bravo saw the challenge from the opposite perspective. “I encountered brands with strong business foundations but weak branding and storytelling.”
South to North Introduces Latin American Luxury Brands to Texas
With South to North, they have created an incubator to introduce luxury brands to Texas in a way that feels both curated and immersive. “We wanted to fill this void in Texas,” Bravo explains. “We also wanted to bring a piece of Latin America to customers here. In Texas, we’re very familiar with Mexico and its street food culture, but Latin American design and craftsmanship are still largely underrepresented.”
Their first South to North outpost in Houston also began as a pop-up before becoming a permanent storefront in December 2024. Encouraged by its success, Babarczy and Bravo saw Austin as the perfect next step. The South Congress location opened its doors March 6 and will be open through May. “We noticed a shift during the pandemic—there was an online shopping boom, but now there’s a hunger for in-person experiences again,” Babarczy says.
The store carries a selection of luxury brands, including Agua by Agua Bendita, Flabelus, Susana Vega, Senda, De Castro, Escvdo, NNT Lab, Laura Aparicio, Waimari, DOMA, NOTHING, Monstserrat Messeguer, and SIGAL.“There’s something special about walking into a store and truly feeling the DNA of a brand,” Babarczy says. “We want people to leave not just having shopped but having experienced the soul of these designers.”
The Welcoming Retail Space Mixes the Colors of Oaxaca and Cartagena
To craft a warm and welcoming space, one that could support events, trunk shows, and intimate brand experiences while reflecting both Latin America and Austin, they tapped Houston-based interior designer Alexandra Killion. “Alexandra has designed both of our stores and has truly transformed these little white boxes into immersive spaces that could be anywhere in Latin America,” Bravo says. While the Houston location takes inspiration from old-world Spanish architecture with contemporary touches, the Austin store evokes the textures and colors of Oaxaca and Cartagena.
The design embraces organic materials such as limestone, wood, and rattan, paired with rich, saturated hues like deep green and rust orange. A subtle Southwestern influence is woven in as well, with a large cowboy painting near the dressing rooms adding a nod to Austin’s laid-back nature. The Agua Sol bar, a centerpiece of the space where shoppers can linger, was a Facebook Marketplace find, while many other furnishings were sourced from local vintage shops.
Bravo emphasizes that making luxury feel approachable is central to their vision. “Our goal is for people to feel comfortable,” she says. “High-end spaces can sometimes feel intimidating, but Latin American culture is deeply warm and welcoming. That’s the experience we wanted to create.”
Learn more at www.southtonorth.co.