The relationship you have the French luxury house Dior with our country goes back several years. Mexico has been a source of inspiration for some of its exclusive pieces and collections, such as the Mexique evening dress that Christian Dior himself designed in 1951 for the autumn-winter collection and that in 2019, Maria Grazia Chiurithe current creative director, recovered for the cruise collection inspired by skirmishes.
Likewise, at the end of the 40s, the fashion house authorized Madame Rostana French designer based in Mexico, to make haute couture pieces to distribute in the El Palacio de Hierro department store, which represents her first approach to our country.
As if that were not enough, last May, for the first time, the house presented its Cruise 2024 collection, inspired by butterflies and Frida Kahlo, which according to the firm, was a tribute to Mexican culture, “Each cruise collection is an opportunity to celebrate the savoir-faire and cultures of the world. “Through these exciting collections, the creative director highlights art and emblematic figures,” she explained in a statement.
In this collection, artisan communities from the country collaborated, for the creation and making of the more than 30 pieces that were presented at the old San Ildefonso School and to which now, the firm recognizes with the Gala Kaluz initiative which recently celebrated its second edition.
This alliance with Kaluz Museum, translates into a celebration of cultural diversity in Mexico and represents the shared vision of creativity and social commitment that both have, as it is worth remembering that the cultural venue inaugurated in 2020 in the Historic Center of Mexico City has the objective of highlighting and perpetuating the art, traditions and history of the country.
On this occasion, the gala focused on highlighting the invaluable contributions of women to Mexican art and culture, where master craftsman Martina García Cruz, She was honored for her career in the textile industry that has left an indelible mark on the sector.
“The recognition of my work of a common life (as I see it), and that it is recognized and valued is something that I never imagined, especially, when this important brand that has traveled the world, looks at my work, I think that “It is something important because in some way all the work of the artisans and craftsmen is valued, in some way it opens these spaces and paths,” the artisan shared with Círculos.
He added that the importance of having this type of initiatives allows them to “somehow make visible all the artisanal work, because that is when we realize the importance and power of conserving all these techniques.”
Martina, like every girl of her time and generational legacy, He began working with the backstrap loom at an early age. (five or six years old) and she only dedicated herself to weaving the ayate. As he grows, he begins to use new and more complex techniques, “together with my mother and my grandmothers, we only worked with ixtle, the fiber of the maguey. At the age of 12 I started with cotton threads and from then on I never left the loom again. “I inherited the backstrap loom from my grandmothers, only with the ixtle, and now I continue with this inheritance that even my granddaughters acquired,” she proudly shared.
One of the problems that the Mexican artisan community experiences is plagiarism, which in recent years has become a controversial topic, since international brands and designers have been denounced by the master craftsmen themselves, to which García commented, “It is true that all types of plagiarism and cultural appropriation have occurred, but not only from international brands; It is a problem that unfortunately occurs within the community. Therefore, the importance of understanding all the cultural value that our work represents, because it is not just about international brands.”
In addition, commented on the haggling, “Not haggling means not minimizing the work of each artisan, valuing the work in its entire process is something that little by little we have been learning to value our own work. I think we are in a process where little by little we are learning. If we see a finished piece and we do not know its process, it is that moment when we may not value it and that is when haggling occurs due to lack of knowledge, I believe,” he concluded.