Medellín: source of inspiration, fashion and tradition by way of Colombian brands during Colombiamoda 2020

When we think of the places that make a city appealing, the places with the most striking visual attributes always come to mind, those that become representative sites of a region or culture through forms, colors, textures and the use of the space and overall elements that compose them. However, minimalist spaces are the perfect setting to frame the versatility of the woman figure, solemnize her silhouette and enhance her femininity. Designers Andrés Pajón and Felipe Cartagena did just that at the closing of Colombia’s most important fashion tradeshow, Colombiamoda 2020: through neat styling and basic accessories, they emphasized the vigor of the Colombian woman represented in pieces that go with her during this ‘staying at home’ era, pieces with simple silhouettes that inspire

“An ancient melody calls us To the consciousness of who we are Infinite heart Infinite love Infinite peace Fierce compassion ultimate power I’m a magnificent woman”.

Melanie Lutz, I AM A MAGNIFICENT WOMAN

When we consider the growing importance that today’s consumers have placed on having full knowledge of the products they consume and the simultaneous increasing awareness of the impact of their choices on the environment, we can understand the renewed appreciation of craftsmanship, organic materials and the processes behind the production of a garment or article. In the course of this year’s tradeshow, the brand Religare by the native designer, Manuela Peña stood out through the staging of her collection ‘Levedad’ (Lightness), which was made by artisans with 100% Colombian natural fibers like filaments extracted from a fish species called fice from Putumayo.

‘Many of us have seen that water flows, Beside stream and rivers new wind blows. Pond sings song for lotus and dances more, Waves thrash sands by near far within shore. While seasons move it dances in a circle, From up to down and down to up miracle. Further dances inside Earth hiding in soil, It spreads fragrance in vapour burning coil.’’

Dance of water by Bhargabi Dei Mahakul

Holding to the essential idea of “re-uniting” as a core value of the brand, in this occasion, the magic of Mother Earth and our ancestors touched our doors from the outside inward. In moments, the collection embarked us on visual journeys that captured the freedom of water, the natural brightness of its waves and its naturalness travel throughout our being, throughout the nakedness of our senses, soul, body and lightness.

“Lightness… lightness… freedom, They were my allies in the creation of this collection that was born as a song of brotherhood and trust in the land that is alive and continues to give us life.”

Manuela Peña, creator of the Religare brand

Where does human creativity flourish? Is it a connection of our own stories and experiences that have been photographically recorded by our eyes? Is it a product of the stumbling with our own mental limits that often do not let us cross the bridge to the “impossible” and unimaginable? There are those who find creativity by traveling to places they have not seen, perceiving new aromas or tasting exotic ingredients.

It is possible that creativity is always with us, adhered to our bodies and DNA, has grown beside us and, when we close our eyes, we feel sheltered by an energy that infects us with thousands of particles that we dare to call magic.

“Where’s the magic? It is in every stitch that our women learned from their mothers, from their grandmothers In the sound of the machines that ourdressmakers used to transform simple scraps into most beautiful dresses.”

Colombian fashion brand Alado

But what if they told us that our most flamboyant ingenuity can be found by looking back at our past? Who are our ancestors who once cultivated the seeds of our capacity for wonder? The Colombian brand Alado, created by Andrés Restrepo and Alejandro González, presented the documentary “Magic Traditions of Antioquia” during Colombiamoda, through which we enter a tour of our regions and lands, and allow us to feel the palpitations of the trees, the cadence of the sea and the familiarity of the typical songs that make our heart feel at home.

Who are we? What lies inside us? What are we made of? Alado gave us those wings to rediscover our identity and roots by injecting magic into each dress through ancestral knowledge such as indigenous sewing methods and the work of tireless and talented Colombian hands that create fashion. The collection took us to the Kuna Tule community in the Cayman Nuevo, district of Turbo, responsible for the elaboration of molas, and to Sonsón and Urrao, where we find the women who weave ruanas and who transform patches into quilts, all the above accompanied by the Colombian musical group Las Áñez.

“If the sounds were an analogy of the culinary, I would say that the Colombian duo Las Áñez created a genre called “molecular music. In the same way that a plate of food - painstakingly made with numerous ingredients and chemical processes – induces surprising emotional and sensory experiences, this pair of singers manages to transport us to other cultures and latitudes in short songs.”

(F. Colamarino).

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