Summer 2014
Toronto Fashion Photographer, Azra Bajric joined forces with Canadian Fashion Blogger Jentine from My Edit, and unikati & co, to create a beautiful editorial. Featured here are selected pieces from our new summer collection by El Salvadorian designer, Lula Mena, and a few of our favourite private label items from Guatemala.
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“They (impoverished on the streets) ask you for money. If you give one dollar, one dollar, one dollar, at the end of the day you can give away $25 and you haven’t done anything, giving away money like this. I thought what should I do, what should I do. In a way you feel like nothing you do is enough. It’s too big. My thought (was that I should) do whatever I can, the best way (I know how), with what I have, where I have it, with the people closest to me. This is what I do in my work. I help the way I can, I help them (the artisans) with work.” –Lula Mena, El Salvador
Necklace: Mystique Blue Bracelet R: Coral Reef Wrap Bracelet L: Earth & Sky Wrap
Beaded Wrap Bracelets from Guatemala: The women that bead the bracelets for us live alongside Lake Atitlan beneath the Atitlan volcano. In October 2005 the intense rains produced by Hurricane Stan swept along the Central American coastline causing a mudslide that came off the volcano and buried their village. Fifty homes and several hundred people disappeared. Currently, depending upon market demand, between fifty and seventy-five young Tzutuhil-speaking Mayan women beaders relocated to new homes on the edges of that lost village, Panabaj, handcraft each bracelet and cuff that we sell. These women generally work at home in small family groups consisting of sisters, sisters-in-laws, and cousins. By pooling their labor at home they are able to jointly care for infants and perform their traditional tasks while earning up to three times the standard wage for women in rural Guatemala. As designs become more complex, the women will add beads of different sizes and materials to the flat bracelets by spearing them up from the table with a needle and deftly affixing them to the body of the bracelet on the loom. Layers of beads can be built up in a process of needlework that is so quick and precise it seems like sleight of hand. Crochet and macramĂŠ styles are entirely assembled before beads begin to be added to them. Beaders must learn to weave or sculpt each new design, and to achieve the uniformity necessary they must often memorize hundreds of steps for each style. Typically, older girls that have left school but have not yet married become beaders to earn money for threads that they can weave into sumptuous brocade blouses for their own use. They also help their household economies, contributing earnings that help their younger siblings stay in school longer.
Necklace: Plucked Indigo Clutch: Indigo Cotton
Indigo: The traditional technique of natural indigo dying, one of the oldest dying methods in the world. During colonial times El Salvador’s main export was indigo, however this industry collapsed when the synthetic colour blue was created in Europe. In recent years indigo has experienced a revival because many synthetic dyes are azo dyes, which are carcinogenic. Indigo is a natural organic dye that is found to protect humans from mosquitos, snakes and ticks with its natural insect repellent qualities Indigo dying is a very long and complicated process. We'll try to keep this explanation simple. Indigo is extracted from a small plant called "Jiquilite". One must cut the vine of the plant at a specific moment in time, just before it blooms. The extraction is pure science. The leaves are fermented until eventually a small amount of indigo powder remains. When it's time to apply the indigo to fabric the indigo must be deprived of oxygen. The vat of liquid is green and when the fabric is first removed, it too is green. Once exposed to oxygen it becomes blue. We were fascinated as we watched the transformation. In order to achieve a deep blue, the fabric must be re-submerged into the vat a number of times. The whole process is very exact.
Lula and Ciro, “the guardian of traditional techniques�, have been working on reviving the indigo industry for almost 15 years. They've perfected the application of the dye and create a beautiful line of products. The textile is handcrafted by foot loom in Ciro's workshop and the dye is applied in the workshop as well. These products are gorgeous, well-made, all-natural pieces that embody the identity and history of El Salvadorian craft technique.
Clutch: Indigo Cotton
Short Necklace: Sun & Sky Long Necklace: Silver Sun
Bag: Mini Leather Briefcase
Bracelet: Yogi Chakra
Necklace: Midnight Fiesta
“I believe that society here can change by empowering women. Women work for their kids. They believe they don’t deserve to earn all this money”. –Lula Mena, El Salvador
Necklaces: Wedding Ball
“When you empower a woman, you empower a generation”. – Lula Mena
Necklaces: White Nautical Rope & Blue Ocean Wave Indigo
Necklaces: Morning Desta & Cascade Ring: Round Wood
Seeds of Joy. Wear the earth on a string, Necklaces in this collection feature a diversity of natural seeds that grow organically in El Salvador
Necklace: Triple Chunk
El Salvador Collection: Lead designer Lourdes Mena works with artisans in rural and at-risk communities in El Salvador to produce limited-edition, original and exclusive designs. Products are made with local and naturally-occurring resources and/or repurposed materials. Each product has a story: the prototype design is based on the natural and artisanal resources that are available to the community in which they will be produced. By employing endangered traditional artisanal techniques and encouraging men and women to work in or near their homes, Lula seeks to empower artisan communities to continue to do what they know and love, securing a steady source of income and keeping families together. All designs are based on 3 principles: Fair trade: Improving the quality of life of artisans and their communities by offering safe and comfortable working environments and paying fair prices for their work. This is an incentive for new generations to learn traditional artisanal techniques and derive their work from them. Handmade: All products are made by hand, using traditional artisanal techniques. Eco-friendly: The majority of raw materials used in Lula's designs are naturally occurring, in or around the artisans’ homes. She also uses recycled and repurposed materials. Producing her designs requires a minimum consumption of energy, and embodies Lula's belief in the need for ecological sustainability.
Necklace: Triple Chunk Cuffs: Wanyama Horn Bangles: Ente Horn
Collaborators: Photography: Azra Bajric www.azrabajric.com Styling: Jentine, My Edit/The Edit www.myedit.blogspot.ca Jewelry & Accessories : unikati & co www.unikati.ca Model: Cydney Forbes