Presente Ancestral presents conscious Latin American Haute Couture in Paris
The most precious haute couture fashion designers in Latin America, those who aim to rescue the material and immaterial heritage of the peoples and the purest traditional Latin American craftsmanship through a noble fusion with sustainability, will meet during the Paris Fashion Week at the Presente Ancestral event, a catwalk, talkshow and showroom that will take place on September 26th and 27th at the Chilean Embassy. Luxiders Magazine will cover the event.
After passing through Monte-Carlo Fashion Week – in which 14 Latin American haute couture, jewelry and accessories designers paraded – Presente Ancestral takes momentum and plants itself in Paris, in no other than the most glamorous Fashion Week on the planet, to show the European market the beauty and luxury that resides in the artisan creations of a curated selection of haute couture designers from Latin America. All of them are creators that guarantee sustainability standards in their manufacturing and fair-trade processes, thus promoting solidarity and respect for the environment, while bringing the richness of Latin America’s cultural diversity to the old continent.
Important fashion editors, local and international buyers, bloggers and influencers have confirmed their attendance to the event, which includes a day of fashion shows and two days of showroom and networking. The event is organized by Davily Partners, a group of professionals oriented towards social innovation in the fashion and luxury market context; with the support of ProChile and in alliance with the global platform Slow Fashion World, which invites us to bet on a conscious fashion with a positive impact.
“Presente Ancestral, in a strategic alliance with Slow Fashion World, connect agents of change and energize Latin American and European initiatives within sustainable fashion. Slow Fashion World designers, such as Bohetnika and Ary Marrufo, will present their collections at the event” – declares Mariel Jumpa, founder of Slow Fashion World.
A luxury catwalk
The link between fashion designers and artisans’ craft and knowledge transmitted from generation to generation, undoubtedly promises a dazzling event in which we can enjoy the display of shapes, colors, and textures that dress an ancient present: cutting edge designs for the luxury market.
Alado, from Colombia, began its formal work with the basic interest of creating creative conversations between art and fashion. A proposal that could transcend the boundaries of these two manifestations and enable new forms of expression through costumes. Conformed by Alejandro González and Andrés Restrepo, both born in Medellín, whose professional training as plastic artists and costume designers, characterizes them for having a restless, curious and enterprising mind. These qualities were decisive when the company was founded with a non-corporate model, a project in which an experimental and assertive vision stands out. Their garments have been made thanks to an arduous work of milling, silhouettes development and cut exploration. They also integrate a proactive choice of inputs and colors, which configure subtle, romantic and poetic features, leading to a style in which exquisite baroque details stand out.
Diabla participates from Bolivia, proposing a fusion between art, creativity and an exclusive design in each garment, with a unique and authentic fashion vision inspired by the creations and designs of ancestral fabrics of the indigenous peoples of Bolivia. Above all it’s a tribute to the Bolivian woman. Diabla promotes the social and economic development of artisans from different communities, who make these fabrics, generating demand for their art and empowering them so that they can have the resources to make their activity sustainable.
Also from Bolivia, comes Carmen Camacho, founder of Awaj Warmi, a nonprofit association that specializes in the production of alpaca wool garments and high-quality products. Awaj Warmi trains its artisans in the technique and production strategy areas, rescuing the ancient tradition of weaving and applying tailoring and avant-garde urban fashion designs to haute couture.
The production of the Awaj Warmi workshops has an added value since it’s made 100% by hand, with bright colors and exclusive designs. The garments are made using their own fabrics, handcrafted from natural raw materials, with beautiful and bright colors inspired by traditional Bolivian clothing, and based on the diversity of the identities that converge in the country and form their color palette.
Ary Marrufo arrives from Mexico. Ary Marrufo collaborates with artisans from different local communities in southern Mexico who perform the cross-stitch technique, artisanal embroidery and weave. Among its artisans are women from vulnerable situations, who have suffered domestic violence, neglect and work from home with little resources. Today they have an extra income to meet their goals.
Bohetnika, also from Mexico, will participate – not on the catwalk, only in the showroom. It’s a Berlin-based brand whose goal is to preserve the value and growth of Mexican artisanal and sustainable designs. By bringing these incredible handmade clothes to Europe, Bohetnika promotes and empowers Mexican artisans and cultural diversity through design. One of the brand’s main objectives is to keep pre-Hispanic Mexican traditions alive while giving them a modern touch. “We carry respect and admiration for our ancestral legacy and workforce in our DNA. Our garments aren’t made on a large scale. Each one has different details and involve processes that make our brand unique” – declare Lizeth Soto Rivas and Alexander Behrendt, founders of the brand.
Conscious Talks and much more
Another of the event’s highlights will be the Conscious Talks, organized and coordinated by Slow Fashion World. The platform has invited several sustainable fashion influencers and the catwalk designers to discuss various topics of interest about the future of sustainable fashion. Graciela Martin, Business of Fashion journalist and expert in Latin American fashion communication, will be the moderator of these Conscious Talks.
In addition, on the night of September 26th, Present Ancestral and Slow Fashion World will announce the launch of a Crowdfunding campaign for Chile’s Foundation Superacion de la Pobreza en Chile, for Overcoming Poverty, via the Ulule France platform. The founder of Slow Fashion World, Mariel Jumpa, will be in charge of communicating the crowdfunding.
