Roots

"I'm taking root in every space I start to engage in. A part of me starts to be there”.

What would you say to a person who is approaching Curatoria for the first time?

Curatoria is a fashion brand that seeks to unite craftsmanship with contemporary design. Our mission is to create a positive social impact in the communities we work with, and to preserve Latin American cultural heritage.

 

For us, the new luxury is handmade. That human energy that is generated when the garments are made, is transmitted in that textile that carries the value of these ancestral techniques.

 

What is Curatoria's work like behind closed doors?

It all starts with an idea of mine, whether it's something I want to make or something I want to wear. At the same time we are seeing what each community and each artisan is doing to cross that talent with the designs we think of.

 

We have a Lab team made up of designers. We start from the conceptual, then we do research, transfer those ideas to moodboards, evaluate what is needed, and nourish ourselves from different aesthetic points of view. We select which typologies and designs will make up the collection, and we start testing from the molding to the textiles, always emphasizing quality, materials and handcrafted techniques.

 

We come from being curators, to create our own brand, and handmade design has other times that are fundamental to understand and respect.

What is it like to search and start working with communities?

It is a constant challenge that fills me with learning.

 

Our productive capacity is in the people, and it is a work that is done very closely with each community. So the bond that is built is key. For me, talking to each artisan is exciting, I like to understand how they work each material, to know the history behind each process, the times. They are passionate people who make you feel that emotion for what they do.

 

These are bonds that are built little by little based on trust. That's where the human part comes in and the connection that is generated.

 

This first collection is called Raíces (Roots). What inspired you, and how is your link with your own roots?

 

Because of my work as a model I have traveled a lot and lived in different cities. Then I spent 4 years in Mexico in Tulum, working as a photographer, and then when I met my husband I settled in Argentina. In each place I put down roots, creating emotional ties and feeling part of those cultures.

 

After my baby was born I put down roots in this country, and through Curatoria I am rooted in protecting and enjoying it. I am traversed by different roots. Those of my native Puerto Rico undoubtedly make up a large part of who I am.

 

So I'm rooting myself in every space in which I begin to engage. A part of me starts to be there.

Roots are like that fabric, which we weave together cultures, sharing moments, life.

 

Roots: the collection

As for this first collection, I was inspired mainly by the people I met in northern Argentina. The creative processes in me have a lot of intuition, curiosity and being close to the people.

 

I went to Jujuy because I was interested in Andean weavings, meeting weavers, embroiderers, and having that experience with them who are my team. The north is pure inspiration. The color of the mountains, the adobe, I love deserts. And Raíces speaks of that.

 

That fusion between the autochthonous taken to luxury. Contemporary design inspired by the landscape. They are unique handmade pieces, one by one. There are ruanas, ponchos, vests, skirts, sweaters with geometric patterns and symbologies of the native peoples.

 

We work with chaguar fiber, llama and merino wool. The loom weaving, crochet, and exclusive tailoring designs with gaucho reminiscence. I am fascinated by the rituality and I took the figure of the gaucho for his respect for the animal and how they prepare to dress, as they are in every detail that makes up their identity. We also developed silver jewelry made by first class goldsmiths. A line of Creole silverware that brings elements of nature such as flowers and feathers.

Since you created Curatoria, do you feel that your own buying habits have changed?

There is something that has been changing for a long time in fashion, and that extends logically to other areas. There is a much more conscious consumption, prioritizing above all the quality, durability and timelessness of the garments. I feel it from the comments of friends, customers, in the specialized press.

 

I have always been passionate about handmade design, about exploring when I dress. But without a doubt I have changed my consumption even more, I am no longer attracted to anything mass-produced, nor to enter a store that is full of things that I see all the same and I even start to feel dazed.

 

I've always bought these objects that give me energy, and that's the change I keep building through Curatoria.