Convinced that the international reach of Uruguayan designers depends on a strong connection to their roots,“before we can be international, we have to be local,”says Vilar, who has guided students in exploring the country’s own resources.
Notable among these are knitting, merino wool, leather, and leather goods—materials and techniques that reinforce a local aesthetic with global appeal.
A decade of teaching at ORT
Vilar's first visit to ORT was in 2015, when he was invited to give a talk as part of an event organized in collaboration with Punta Carretas Shopping.
There, he emphasized the importance of working on the local identity as the basis for the design, an approach that led to its inclusion as artistic advisor of the advanced courses in the Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design.
Over the years, she has helped dozens of students organize fashion shows such as Protesta!, PUL_SA, Brotá and Entro, whichdrew inspiration from Uruguayan craftsmanship, heritage, and culture.
"Today, we're seeing more and more local brands with a strong sense of identity, and many of them are led by university alumni."
- You might be interested in:Protest!: The parade that turned Carrasco Airport into a runway.
Education in Brazil and connection to Walter Rodrigues
A native of Minas Gerais, Vilar studied at the Faculdade Santa Marcelina (in São Paulo, Brazil). He later joined the studio of Walter Rodrigues, one of the most influential figures in Brazilian fashion and a pioneer in presenting his collections at Paris Fashion Week.
This opportunity allowed him to participate in international fashion shows and to design garments for prominent figures in Brazilian politics and culture.
Following the closure of the Rodrígues brand in 2012, amid a surge of international brands entering the country, Vilar opened Atelier Lucius Vilar, a studio specializing in identity, image, and surface design, with a focus on researching innovative materials.
International Career
In addition to his role in Uruguay, Vilar is part of the InspiraMás project, a South American trade show dedicated to fashion supplies, which has taken him to China, Mexico, Paraguay, Colombia, and Peru, among other countries.
It also participates in the world’s leading textile trade shows, such as Première Vision (Paris) and Heimtextil (Frankfurt), where it showcases its surface designs —prints, textiles, and patterns—which are currently sold in markets such as France, Italy, Spain, and China.
Learn more about the
's Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design