Colombiamoda kicks off with spotlight on craftsmanship, history, upcycling
Medellín, Colombia, Jul 25 (EFE).- Colombiamoda+Colombiatex 2022 fairs kicked off on Monday night with the showcasing of fashion designs spotlighting craftsmanship, upcycling and history as part of a project connecting artisan communities in Colombia, Mexico and Guatemala.
Designer Juan Pablo Socarrás, alongside Coca-Cola, opened the 33rd edition of the event with “Handmade Stories” responsible fashion project and the dazzling “A-Mar” collection that he described as “a hurricane, a deep whirlwind that conceals secrets.”
His creations, unveiled in the cultural center of the Boston neighborhood, in downtown Medellín, were inspired by the story of a woman who is born in the mountains and who travels through rivers and oceans to find the love of a Mayan man and discover water as a common element.
Socarrás said that this project shows “the best of Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico” with an exchange of knowledge and stories between their artisan cultures, expressed through the fabrics and embroidery on the garments, made by 90 women from the Valle de Ubaté in Colombia, Santo Domingo de Xenacoj in Guatemala and San Antonino Castillo Velasco in Mexico.
The upcycled clothes of the “A-Mar” collection, made using techniques from each region including embroidery, crochet and loom, among others, transform waste into recycled fibers while also using filaments of masks, bottles, cans and plastic.
Every delicate detail of the 38 pieces, dazzlingly crafted with materials such as organic cotton, canvas, wool, silk chiffon and silk shantung, stood out.
The technical director and curator of the Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Textiles and Clothing in Guatemala, Violeta Gutierrez, told EFE that they had joined with the “Handmade Stories” project with the aim of rescuing tradition, as many techniques are being lost in her country.
“It allowed us to enable weavers to maintain their traditions by giving them work,” she said.
These two fairs, organized in Medellín by the Colombian Institute for Export and Fashion (Inexmoda) will run until Thursday.
They officially kick off on Tuesday in the pavilions of the Plaza Mayor convention center that will have 400 exhibitors, 10,000 national and international specialized buyers and about 30,000 visitors.
The so-called “Colombia Fashion Week,” which seeks to bring conscious fashion with a reduced impact on the environment to the fore, will be held in five places in Medellin. EFE
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