https://latinxsual.com Latinx Collective Mon, 15 Mar 2021 15:00:40 +0000 https://latinxsual.com en https://latinxsual.com/Link-in-Bio Fri, 28 Aug 2020 19:58:31 +0000 Latinx Collective https://latinxsual.com/Link-in-Bio <img width="1954" height="740" width_o="1954" height_o="740" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/663910b46cb1f53e6e2e16276ee3335f8445854e98fd059918d5f6e783c615c6/latinxs_logo_negro-02.png" data-mid="119618086" border="0" data-scale="62" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/663910b46cb1f53e6e2e16276ee3335f8445854e98fd059918d5f6e783c615c6/latinxs_logo_negro-02.png" /> Membership sign up Website Arts SU site E-mail Us You might need to refresh the page to go back, or try opening on your phone’s browser ︎︎︎ ︎ ︎ https://latinxsual.com/Home Sun, 01 Nov 2020 19:50:18 +0000 Latinx Collective https://latinxsual.com/Home Welcome to the Latinx Collective <img width="400" height="500" width_o="400" height_o="500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b4c3798dde34806bca78cfbab93a5d12c8850e1c8ef79ed83fcdd098fcfc66a9/ezgif-1-e4f8c7ce3943.gif" data-mid="103271157" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/400/i/b4c3798dde34806bca78cfbab93a5d12c8850e1c8ef79ed83fcdd098fcfc66a9/ezgif-1-e4f8c7ce3943.gif" /> <img width="2000" height="2000" width_o="2000" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a4853a7dc0f968b52cd99d212fd35831159235afd44cfef933a880cd5fcafe30/AIR_MERINO.jpg" data-mid="103271111" border="0" data-scale="73" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a4853a7dc0f968b52cd99d212fd35831159235afd44cfef933a880cd5fcafe30/AIR_MERINO.jpg" /> <img width="773" height="998" width_o="773" height_o="998" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/66366fdb4f3d339c3c3cc37f07d053bc8c02a88b074a04b3b515f4bdb4b93d91/cutout-1.png" data-mid="103455698" border="0" data-scale="63" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/773/i/66366fdb4f3d339c3c3cc37f07d053bc8c02a88b074a04b3b515f4bdb4b93d91/cutout-1.png" /> https://latinxsual.com/Clasificados Mon, 22 Feb 2021 20:37:49 +0000 Latinx Collective https://latinxsual.com/Clasificados Anuncios Clasificados This is our Anuncios Clasificados section where you can find collaboration opportunities posted by the collective’s community. If you would like to advertise an opportunity, please fill out this form. Current Anuncios: Looking for: Video Submissions End date: 30/Apr/2021 Name: Nev Spier Contact: Instagram: @nevspr E-mail: nhmspier@gmail.com Looking for video submissions of bodies of water in Latin America, such as the sea, ocean, lakes, swimming pools, kitchen sinks... Doesn't have to be high quality footage, can be filmed with a phone, old or new, anything! Videos will be collaged to be part of a multimedia piece for my degree (BA Sculpture) about immigration and the embodiment of language. I'm trying to source this footage through the collective as I am currently based in the UK. Video submissions will be credited as collaborators, unless you wish to stay anonymous. https://latinxsual.com/Artists-in-Residence-March Mon, 15 Mar 2021 15:00:40 +0000 Latinx Collective https://latinxsual.com/Artists-in-Residence-March Artists In Residence March Click on each name to find what each of them is presenting this month. <img width="750" height="758" width_o="750" height_o="758" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5366e7b674a3a002183810df58db89b504d7121e6868d75e1a71340256ceb3b0/Hiromoto_profile.JPG" data-mid="102771287" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/750/i/5366e7b674a3a002183810df58db89b504d7121e6868d75e1a71340256ceb3b0/Hiromoto_profile.JPG" /> Adriana Hiromoto <img width="1125" height="1125" width_o="1125" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4d986a566c68e028eb3f7f9c5de9eeb4b5777fcf3a31663526ba33b69a95d544/luma-1x1.jpg" data-mid="103253524" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4d986a566c68e028eb3f7f9c5de9eeb4b5777fcf3a31663526ba33b69a95d544/luma-1x1.jpg" /> Luma Guarçoni <img width="950" height="950" width_o="950" height_o="950" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/883b91b7d7277b4670bab8767e6a248447468fd94672e7f468dc04b222021906/Screen-Shot-2021-03-08-at-12.08.12-PM.png" data-mid="103455384" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/950/i/883b91b7d7277b4670bab8767e6a248447468fd94672e7f468dc04b222021906/Screen-Shot-2021-03-08-at-12.08.12-PM.png" /> Valeria Ghersi https://latinxsual.com/Luma-Guarconi-Gambiarra Sat, 13 Mar 2021 19:17:47 +0000 Latinx Collective https://latinxsual.com/Luma-Guarconi-Gambiarra An Ode to the Gambiarra Epistemologies of Design and What That Means Across (Creative) Borderlands&nbsp; by Luma Guarçoni Introduction I have always been fascinated by this idea of The Designer—who gets to inhabit&nbsp; that space and who can claim that title for themselves? Why is it used so freely within a specific homogenous group of people adjacent to certain cities, institutions, professions, and classes, yet so strongly withheld from others that exist outside those realities? Sometimes walking the streets of Brasil(*) I believe I cross paths with more designers at heart than I ever will walking the halls of many design institutions around the world. Seeing street vendors' resourcefulness and creativity when they have to organize their moving storefronts or the neighborhood’s inventor’s ingenuity when they could not afford a windshield sunshade brings the word “innovation” to mind much quicker than the slight variation on a century old monogram designer bag. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7faeffb14489f8e33ddd29b03e8bb4b0b22e9d3a64e7782b45c4d8fe5dff6eb8/3.1.JPG" data-mid="102969418" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7faeffb14489f8e33ddd29b03e8bb4b0b22e9d3a64e7782b45c4d8fe5dff6eb8/3.1.JPG" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7fd267951138179ba6c26286e65546638a54d583ad81b13f33551672670f95f0/3.2.JPG" data-mid="102969419" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7fd267951138179ba6c26286e65546638a54d583ad81b13f33551672670f95f0/3.2.JPG" /> 1. Moving store front I (Guarçoni, 22 Nov 2020, Ilha do Frade) 2.&nbsp;Windshield sunshade (Guarçoni, 15 Nov 2020, Guarapari) Inspired by the question ‘what is a designer?’ I will be exploring ideas of what I call ‘epistemologies of design’ and what that means across (creative) borderlands. In Chapter 1 I will delineate what the term ‘epistemologies of design’ means, what the dominant epistemology within the field of design currently is (Escobar, 2018), its connection to colonial imposition and globalization (Fry and Kalantidou, 2018) and how it rose to prominence and established what Mignolo calls ‘epistemological totalitarianism’ (2018). In Chapter 2 I will be looking at ontological design (Willis, 2006) in order to interpret ‘Gambiarra’ as a potential counter-narrative to the Anglo+Eurocentric hegemonic approach to design, exploring the socioeconomic context from which it emerges and what the spontaneity of this practice can teach us. Finally in Chapter 3 I will dive into notions of (*)Brasil vs Brazil (Blanc and Tapajós 1978; Karentzos, 2019), present a trend of classically trained artists returning to Gambiarra as a type of ‘creative homecoming’, how that can represent a resistance towards a deeply ingrained colonial mentality and what that signifies within the context of a national creative identity for Brasil.&nbsp; <img width="1125" height="1723" width_o="1125" height_o="1723" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5c27774711ddda04d6f45a32c4c19d2b25e9ec5be8e23485fa52c95d0ade5a9/4.3.PNG" data-mid="102969771" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e5c27774711ddda04d6f45a32c4c19d2b25e9ec5be8e23485fa52c95d0ade5a9/4.3.PNG" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a405b68f51c540702788ad8684fb4aa804c6edd252193dd3887d73af9377af8d/4.4.JPG" data-mid="102969772" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a405b68f51c540702788ad8684fb4aa804c6edd252193dd3887d73af9377af8d/4.4.JPG" /> <img width="1125" height="1719" width_o="1125" height_o="1719" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7b181488b061fc4fcd26b0365e137ac22125e3cfa0b897c959398e2c6b376606/4.5.PNG" data-mid="102969774" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7b181488b061fc4fcd26b0365e137ac22125e3cfa0b897c959398e2c6b376606/4.5.PNG" /> <img width="1125" height="1714" width_o="1125" height_o="1714" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/80f43ba31c003a44a259c55e8161e9f1edb63015c1d3ae9593cbc116ab878424/4.2.PNG" data-mid="102969770" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/80f43ba31c003a44a259c55e8161e9f1edb63015c1d3ae9593cbc116ab878424/4.2.PNG" /> Moving store fronts (Guarçoni, 14 Jan 2021, Praia do Morro) The main goal of this dissertation is to present Gambiarra—a non-western practice of design—as a legitimate and valuable creative process and thus gain insight&nbsp; into what can be learned when different epistemologies of design are taken into account and respected. I hope this paper will contribute to discussions of decoloniality in the field of design by allowing us to see (non-geographical) (creative) borderlands as fertile grounds for the encounter of different perspectives. Perhaps we can let ourselves go even further and imagine ‘borderland designers’ as creators that would incorporate multiple epistemologies of design within their own practice and possibly show us an alternative path forward. &nbsp; “Living in a state of psychic unrest, in a Borderland,&nbsp;is what makes poets write and artists create.”&nbsp; —Anzaldúa, 1987, page 73 <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1e0878d381774a87e1c6e6321a1265c019e8987ab603eadeeffad2cc282156e9/7.2.JPG" data-mid="102971279" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1e0878d381774a87e1c6e6321a1265c019e8987ab603eadeeffad2cc282156e9/7.2.JPG" /> <img width="3264" height="2446" width_o="3264" height_o="2446" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2acf3da6c2b2f2587abe761664a7b9b11900b9107a2abfd7fa1a859556cb7d4c/7.1.JPG" data-mid="102971278" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2acf3da6c2b2f2587abe761664a7b9b11900b9107a2abfd7fa1a859556cb7d4c/7.1.JPG" /> 1Catador I (Guarçoni, 30 Oct 2020, Vitória)&nbsp; 2. Cardboard as potential material (Guarçoni, 27 Dec 2016, Miami) In order to understand and expand our notions of ‘epistemologies of design’ I will begin by briefly defining the term ‘epistemology’ and then applying it to the context of design. I will borrow ideas proposed by Escobar (2018) in his book “Designs for the Pluriverse: Radical Interdependence, Autonomy, and the Making of Worlds” to outline what the most dominant practice of design currently is. Through Escobar’s work we will analyse how this hegemonic narrative stems from a functionalist, rationalistic, industrial tradition and exists to perpetuate western patriarchal capitalist modernity focused on production and consumption (Escobar, 2018). We will then use Mignolo’s concept of ‘epistemic totalitarianism’ (2018) and Fry and Kalantidou’s ‘epistemic colonialism’ (2014) to explore how this Eurocentric iteration of design has established itself as supreme and suppressed other realities and forms of knowing. Fry and Kalantidou’s “Design on the Borderlands” (2014) also provides an incisive critique of the role of globalization in perpetuating the hegemonic practice of design while simultaneously making explicit the connection between colonial inquisition and the Eurocentric capitalist monopolization of the design field. Following, we will explore Willis’s definition of ‘ontological design’ (2006)—which&nbsp; refers to the continuous reciprocal influence we exert over the things we design and that they exert over us—and through those lenses I will introduce the concept of Gambiarra—a creative process built on the act of improvisation and subversion of designed objects in order to better respond to a different set of necessities (Naumann Boufleur, 2013)—as a counter-hegemonic practice. Before moving forward we have to reconcile a conceptual contradiction between Willis’s emphasis on planning being a key aspect of designing and Gambiarra’s penchant for spontaneity and improvisation. <img width="3264" height="2448" width_o="3264" height_o="2448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/55f7910605dc97f10ed8bad47f2544730462bc1274ec98b753088231eb70c0bd/9.2.JPG" data-mid="102973999" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/55f7910605dc97f10ed8bad47f2544730462bc1274ec98b753088231eb70c0bd/9.2.JPG" /> <img width="3264" height="2448" width_o="3264" height_o="2448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f7c82d66d37164f787565b1fe2fa3c5b10ce2cdbed4cf30a04a2502f9ca5dc9b/9.1.JPG" data-mid="102973998" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f7c82d66d37164f787565b1fe2fa3c5b10ce2cdbed4cf30a04a2502f9ca5dc9b/9.1.JPG" /> 1. Fruit stand by the side of the road–coming (Guarçoni, 2 Jul 2016, Alto Paraíso) 2.&nbsp;Fruit stand by the side of the road–going (Guarçoni, 2 Jul 2016, Alto Paraíso) To dive deeper into this argument, we will be referencing two PhD theses from the School of Architecture and Urbanism at the University of São Paulo: Moura Wanderley’s “The Design of the ‘Others’: Creative interactions in contemporary artifact&nbsp; production” and Naumann Boufleur’s “The Fundaments of the Gambiarra: the utilitarian contemporary improvisation and its socioeconomic context”. Both works pose profound investigations into notions of vernacular design and its production while also offering remarkable perspectives regarding its occurrence within society, its socioeconomic context and its cultural embeddedness. In the subsequent chapter we build on top of those academic analyses of Gambiarra and turn to more creative explorations into the theme. We will briefly look at the complex power dynamic between the concepts of (*)Brasil vs Brazil through the lyrics of “Querellas do Brasil” by Blanc and Tapajós (1978) and how the practice of Gambiarra fits into that scenario. I will then reference the 2020 film “Gambiarra” by the collectives Brazil 1,99 and Seconds Media for an insight into its omnipresent cultural relevance by drawing from interviews they have conducted on the field as well as the writings they have published alongside it on their social media platforms. In this section I will also be providing other works by ‘classically trained’ artists that have turned to Gambiarra with appreciative eyes such as Cao Guimaraes, the Campana Brothers and myself. Lastly, I will juxtapose Gambiarra with a pivotal historical point in the attempt at developing a creative national identity in Brasil, de Andrade’s 1928 Anthropophagic Manifesto, and argue how Gambiarra might offer us an infinitely more authentic solution to that quest. <img width="2448" height="3264" width_o="2448" height_o="3264" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9ce266bea25473907b1f53bc37918c7134009e6af08c72d9ee6aa57056ecf7a4/14.JPG" data-mid="103259563" border="0" data-scale="57" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9ce266bea25473907b1f53bc37918c7134009e6af08c72d9ee6aa57056ecf7a4/14.JPG" /> Unspecified structure to bridge roof with ladder, scaffold, ropes and pulley (Guarçoni, 2 Apr 2016, Miami) Throughout the entire research the concepts of ‘non-geographical borderlands’ as presented by Anzaldúa in her book “Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza” (1987) and ‘border thinking’ as indicated in Mignolo’s writing of ‘epistemic differential’ (2018) are present in the background. Those two concepts set the terrain in which this investigation into ‘epistemologies of design’ happens. As the dissertation goes on it becomes evident how theories of knowledge are inextricably linked to cultural and socioeconomic contexts and we look to Anzaldúa and Mignolo for guidance to explore how different expressions of design manifest across (creative) borders. This will be made most noticeable in the conclusion when the gap between the exploration of different epistemologies meets the potentiality of a ‘borderland designer’ that can incorporate multiple realities within their identity and their practice; this might allow us to envision a decolonial practice of design that permits multiple worlds to flourish (Escobar, 2018). “Queremos un mundo donde quepan muchos mundos &nbsp; (We want a world where many worlds fit)” —Zapatistas de Chiapa quoted in Escobar, 2018, page 15 To guide this investigation, I will use an auto ethnographic approach to reconcile academic research on the theme and my own experiences. I will do so by utilizing journal entries, poems, personal observations, and actively inserting my perspective in the development of this paper. By taking into account my own personal experience of living and working within two separate realities—between my academic design education and professional experiences in the United States and Europe over&nbsp; the past decade and my personal roots and recent year-long creative venture in Brasil—I hope to offer contrasting points of view that reflect a plural perception of the discussion at hand and my contributions at navigating through them. As a person who inhabits spaces in the Global South and Global North simultaneously and has a dual identity as a creator, I will speak both as an agent and as a witness to different means of cultural production and design practices. <img width="1996" height="1444" width_o="1996" height_o="1444" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f0af5e5d27c9394ebefe685ae4736911d6a8648f085660a898c41c24b483ce78/13.1.png" data-mid="102057176" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f0af5e5d27c9394ebefe685ae4736911d6a8648f085660a898c41c24b483ce78/13.1.png" /> <img width="2024" height="1438" width_o="2024" height_o="1438" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/81987d12fb4b2a5a87d570bd5acb80471657c5a8217671de4819583e425fbdfb/13.3.png" data-mid="102057178" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/81987d12fb4b2a5a87d570bd5acb80471657c5a8217671de4819583e425fbdfb/13.3.png" /> <img width="1430" height="1052" width_o="1430" height_o="1052" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/db270f564d6043a2bf2f872094c868f8a5480b082b21b771afebab340cedfa77/13.2.png" data-mid="102057177" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/db270f564d6043a2bf2f872094c868f8a5480b082b21b771afebab340cedfa77/13.2.png" /> Author improvising pointy shoe with sock, cardboard and tape&nbsp; on set of Comunidad(e) (Guarçoni, Alba, Monestier 30 Apr 2018, NYC) &nbsp;“She learns to juggle cultures… She has a plural personality, she operates in a pluralistic mode.” —Anzaldúa, 1987, page 79 This visual essay will use photographic data from my personal archive to exemplify this form of spontaneous design both directly and indirectly. Through illustrating how Gambiarra is a fundamental manifestation of an ‘epistemology of design’ characteristic to the Global South, and specifically Brasil in this case, I will be pointing at how this iteration of creative expression has been excluded from the hegemonic Eurocentric narrative of design and what we stand to gain from legitimizing it as a creative process. I find it important to note that this paper does not have any pretense of existing&nbsp; within a pseudo-objective academic place (Sobande, 2018); when regarding different epistemologies and ontologies we must recognize that whatever we deem objective,&nbsp; even within the scope of an academic/analytical study, will inherently be a biased view of our subject based on the place from which we are speaking from (Arablouei and&nbsp; Abdelfatah, 2020). I hope to not have that be a flaw but to embrace it and use it as a tool to explore the question posed at the introduction from multiple angles. <img width="400" height="500" width_o="400" height_o="500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b4c3798dde34806bca78cfbab93a5d12c8850e1c8ef79ed83fcdd098fcfc66a9/ezgif-1-e4f8c7ce3943.gif" data-mid="103269049" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/400/i/b4c3798dde34806bca78cfbab93a5d12c8850e1c8ef79ed83fcdd098fcfc66a9/ezgif-1-e4f8c7ce3943.gif" /> Chapter 1—Epistemologies of Design &nbsp; <img width="380" height="475" width_o="380" height_o="475" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/698cac68c5a6027c870baee4f89e4fde4f15731997e1cce86661d9ab2f22564e/ezgif-1-db2e4f91e6b4.gif" data-mid="103269270" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/380/i/698cac68c5a6027c870baee4f89e4fde4f15731997e1cce86661d9ab2f22564e/ezgif-1-db2e4f91e6b4.gif" /> Chapter 2—Gambiarra: An Ontologial Approach <img width="400" height="500" width_o="400" height_o="500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5d1b7c2cca433a6e6eeafef545074af9b7e0bfd38bc830a82d42c09089f50f1/ezgif-1-e4aa29bef7e6.gif" data-mid="103269719" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/400/i/e5d1b7c2cca433a6e6eeafef545074af9b7e0bfd38bc830a82d42c09089f50f1/ezgif-1-e4aa29bef7e6.gif" /> Chapter 3—Creative Homecoming Conclusion The initial objective of this paper was to explore the notion of ‘epistemologies of design’ in order to better understand how design is practiced differently across cultural and socioeconomic contexts and, consequently, gain insight into what can be learned when multiple epistemologies are taken into account and respected. It sought&nbsp;to advocate for the Gambiarra as a legitimate and valuable creative process; to recognize non-western practices of design that take place in the margins of capitalism (Naumann Boufleur, 2013) as counter-narratives to the Anglo+Eurocentric hegemony in the design field; and to understand these practices as forms of resistance to current neocolonial thought and a fundamental tool in the process of decoloniality. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/efa6f94a48e5076d91c0ffb609b8db3e96e2bf60bc86cc056fdbf0bf3a906ee4/50.JPG" data-mid="102233479" border="0" data-scale="62" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/efa6f94a48e5076d91c0ffb609b8db3e96e2bf60bc86cc056fdbf0bf3a906ee4/50.JPG" />Gambiarra light at the seamstress (Guarçoni, 14 Oct 2020, Guarapari) Though in the last chapter I positioned Gambiarra as a genuine expression of a national creative identity in Brasil, in this conclusion I would like us to reframe that analysis through the lenses of Anzaldúa’s ‘non-geographical borderlands’ (1987) and Mignolo’s ‘border thinking’ and ‘epistemic differentials’ (2018). &nbsp; “The epistemic differential between regional knowledges taken for the totality and regional knowledges disavowed by stakeholders of the totality of knowledge, makes the question of epistemic totalitarianism visible and border(-dwelling and -thinking) epistemologies unavoidable and necessary” —Mignolo, 2018, page 208&nbsp; Both Anzaldua (1987) and Escobar (2018) speak of dualities as a notion of the West—binaries imposed during colonization to establish power and dominance—and embrace ideas of non-dualist realities as a rich tradition on non-western cultures—ways of being, thinking and doing that appreciate the complexity of our existence. Mignolo helps us understand non-dualist ontologies as characteristic of border-dwellers (2018) and since, according to Anzaldúa, borderlands are not physical spaces but more so a state of being we can then extrapolate beyond the tangible and towards the idea of creative borderlands. “A borderland is a vague and undetermined place created by the emotional residue of an unnatural boundary. It is in a constant state of transition.” —Anzaldúa, 1987, page 3&nbsp;&nbsp; <img width="3264" height="2446" width_o="3264" height_o="2446" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/56abc85f4953f61c917632520fa9f049297734eacb99729929e8539f9d3c25a5/48.JPG" data-mid="102233467" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/56abc85f4953f61c917632520fa9f049297734eacb99729929e8539f9d3c25a5/48.JPG" /> Author’s hands after studio – acrylics, artist tape, paint (Guarçoni, 15 Apr 2017, Brooklyn) In those creative borderlands we might find a different type of designer, a ‘borderland designer’, an individual who embodies the cultural collision that Anzaldúa argues so fertile for creative production (1987). They incorporate multiple design epistemologies simultaneously within their own practice and open the path to a design field that is growing towards decoloniality. Mignolo claims that border-thinking and border-epistemologies emerge on colonial subjects when they realize the extent to which their epistemologies have been suppressed and that the moment this realization sets in is also the moment they start to become ‘decolonial subjects’ (2018). It is in this&nbsp; way that it becomes fundamental to not try to fit western definitions but to create our own terminology and designations for creative endeavors. &nbsp; Sobande stated that “becoming comfortable with the label of ‘academic’ is an ongoing process for me” (2018) and that resonated deeply with the discomfort I feel when having to call myself a designer despite studying and working in the field for over a decade. After this investigation I have come to the conclusion that maybe the problem isn't how we feel about those terms but the parameters in which those terms are presented to us in the context of the ‘epistemic totalitarianism’ promoted by the Eurocentric hegemonic narrative predominant in western institutions (Mignolo, 2018). <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/77b8c79b1eeb109c589e0d1e1fc5f1d1cae36642e9a8e6c18c6682f98c3a8e2c/extra.5.JPG" data-mid="103247146" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/77b8c79b1eeb109c589e0d1e1fc5f1d1cae36642e9a8e6c18c6682f98c3a8e2c/extra.5.JPG" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/149c6fa110a471f636a916a8aa868e306e9afeca4d601fa121144a753fd2dee8/extra.4.JPG" data-mid="103247030" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/149c6fa110a471f636a916a8aa868e306e9afeca4d601fa121144a753fd2dee8/extra.4.JPG" /> 1.&nbsp;Jeitinho in the beach (Guarçoni, 1 Feb 2021, Guarapari&nbsp;2. Jeitinho in the beach &nbsp;II(Guarçoni, 29 Jan 2021, Guarapari) “Until I am free to write bilingually and to switch codes without having always to translate, while I still have to speak English or Spanish when I would rather speak Spanglish (...) my tongue will be illegitimate.” —Anzaldúa, 1987, page 59 Lorde stated, “the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house” (1985, pp 2) and I argue that neither will design practices rooted in Eurocentric capitalist colonial values dismantle the hegemonic narrative that have repressed other epistemologies for so long. Therefore, an investigation into design epistemologies proves necessary to envision a pluriversality of ontologies—“a world where many worlds fit” (Escobar, 2018). Bibliography About the Artist <img width="1125" height="1712" width_o="1125" height_o="1712" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/522aa6a46ef33c565ae49741f4ab92179fe618c724ef01b64202439f8c79338a/unnamed.jpg" data-mid="102082218" border="0" data-scale="75" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/522aa6a46ef33c565ae49741f4ab92179fe618c724ef01b64202439f8c79338a/unnamed.jpg" /> Luma Guarçoni is a Brazilian fashion designer and researcher currently based in Vitória, Brasil. She started her fashion education over a decade ago at Design and Architecture Senior High in Miami, Florida and since she has lived in Milan, Paris, London and New York working for brands such as Marni, Acne Studios, Hood by Air and others while also pursuing her degree in fashion design and marketing at Central Saint Martins in London. Throughout her work Luma explores questions of identity by investigating the dynamics between culture and the body as a place of political and social expression. She is currently developing her graduate collection centered on the potential of the integration of traditional Brazilian artisanal techniques into the context of high luxury and, consequently, how the fashion industry and its large production chain could be reimagined as a tool for social progress. Simultaneously Luma is studying notions of epistemologies of design rooted in the Global South, more specifically Brasil, as counter narratives to hegemonic methods of creative production propagated by the Global North. Through this line of thought she now presents the concept of Gambiarra and ties it to the fields of decoloniality and border thinking. Key words: Gambiarra, border thinking, decoloniality https://latinxsual.com/Luma-Guarconi-Gambiarra-Chapter-1 Mon, 15 Mar 2021 11:50:47 +0000 Latinx Collective https://latinxsual.com/Luma-Guarconi-Gambiarra-Chapter-1 An Ode to the Gambiarra Chapter 1—Epistemologies of Design Before this dissertation can go anywhere new, it is fundamental to clearly establish what exactly is meant by epistemologies of design. Epistemology is, in broad terms, the branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge, especially regarding its nature, source, methods, validity and scope (DeRose, 2005). The way I will use this terminology throughout the paper is to refer to the theory of knowledge and worldview from which specific practices of design emerge from—and therefore&nbsp; embody—and to investigate how those epistemologies came to be dominant in the field through what Mignolo calls ‘epistemic totalitarianism’ (Mignolo, 2018). This line of inquiry, particularly the source and validity of knowledge, will serve&nbsp; to map out, analyse and understand what epistemology informs our dominant design practice and later to propose a new epistemology of design based on a different&nbsp; socioeconomic context. By applying the lens of epistemology over the practice of&nbsp; design I hope to make evident that any form of design or creative expression (or any action for that matter) emerges from a specific body of knowledge and way of relating&nbsp; to the world (Willis, 2006).&nbsp; <img width="1136" height="1510" width_o="1136" height_o="1510" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e58b6eb348720092707feb5eb5df0a9562d66f3dc26f42ad027c354e09f4864f/016.png" data-mid="102210927" border="0" data-scale="71" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e58b6eb348720092707feb5eb5df0a9562d66f3dc26f42ad027c354e09f4864f/016.png" />Hand painted pedestrian crossing sign over faded standard sign (Guarçoni, 10 Apr 2019,&nbsp;Havana) “To put it differently, all creation is collective, emergent, and relational;&nbsp; it involves historically and epistemically situated persons&nbsp;(never autonomous individuals)”&nbsp; —Escobar, 2018, page XVI Once we begin to see any form of creative manifestation as an output of a set&nbsp; body of knowledge, questions begin to surface: what has shaped that particular body&nbsp; of knowledge? What is the source of it? Where is it rooted? What perpetuates it? How does it evolve? There are deep and rich answers to each of those questions that this&nbsp; paper cannot fully explore but woven into all of them would be something along the&nbsp; lines of culture and/or society (Mignolo, 2018). This might seem like an easy route or&nbsp; an overplayed cliché, but as feminist and decolonial thought over the past years have&nbsp; shown, the root of most oppression—and the perpetuation of such—is founded in&nbsp; society’s investment in the preservation of a specific hegemonic narrative. The fields of design and creative practices are by no means exempt from the influence of this invisible hand.&nbsp; “The materiality of the world (its ontology) is shaped by epistemology (world sense projected into storytelling and argument [logos]) coded, in every culture and/or civilization, as knowledge (epistemology).”&nbsp; —Mignolo, 2018, page 196 Escobar does a superb job of outlining what is the dominant narrative that&nbsp; permeates design and, in doing so, he has laid out what I see as the foundation of the&nbsp; epistemology which shapes the mainstream practice of design as it currently stands:&nbsp; Anglo+Eurocentric capitalist hegemony. Early in his book he makes frequent reference&nbsp; to patriarchal western capitalist modernity as the civilizational model that birthed the&nbsp; functionalist, rationalistic, industrial tradition of design that we find ourselves immersed in (Escobar, 2018). This sharp insight leads us to pinpoint where geographically and economically this form of design originated—namely the middle and upper classes of&nbsp; the Global North—and the systems which allowed it to flourish—industrial capitalism and patriarchal modernity. <img width="2788" height="1620" width_o="2788" height_o="1620" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/aa0431fe44cb75e6777b075ea42f7ef81b5ec341903d9a8e56dea7597942dabb/19.2.png" data-mid="102212690" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/aa0431fe44cb75e6777b075ea42f7ef81b5ec341903d9a8e56dea7597942dabb/19.2.png" /> Still from film I—fruit stand by the side of the road (Gambiarra, 2020) Fry and Kalantidou’s book provide us with the arguments to investigate this idea further by helping us understand how this particular narrative became dominant and how it has kept the design field in a stronghold for so long. The authors openly address&nbsp; questions of design’s historical involvement with colonial imposition and discuss ideas of “epistemological colonialism” (Fry and Kalantidou, 2014) which have been&nbsp; monumental in helping me see the practice of exploring other epistemologies as an&nbsp; intellectual resistance to neocolonialism in the design field. “Epistemological colonialism can be understood as a certain kind of viral afterlife of a progenitor; it goes on doing the job of colonisation long after the material trappings of its parental host have departed. As such it continues to extend key features of the values, mode of thought and worldview constituted as the colonised mind.” —Fry and Kalantidou, 2014, page 16&nbsp; <img width="1054" height="1362" width_o="1054" height_o="1362" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c39ec03513ce5fa6b812d8c8b79c4dd6400345e9aee89b5cd840a3254d12f0da/18.png" data-mid="102213082" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c39ec03513ce5fa6b812d8c8b79c4dd6400345e9aee89b5cd840a3254d12f0da/18.png" />‘All food is organic in Cuba’ (Guarçoni, 18 Apr 2019, Havana)Between the authors’s ‘epistemological colonialism’ and Mignolo’s ‘epistemic totalitarianism’ (2018) it becomes clear how a western imperial capitalist epistemology established itself as supreme over any other form of knowledge produced outside of&nbsp; that geographical space of mind and, consequently, stifled any ontology that endangered its dominance. Fry and Kalantidou then go on to speak about globalization in an illuminating manner&nbsp; by posing it not as a consequence of capitalism but as a tool used by it. The authors provide insightful views on economic colonization and how the ongoing depreciation of local epistemologies is strategically designed into the system of globalization. “Globalization (...) destroys the counter-developmental potentiality of what is already present in the local (be they creative and craft practices, knowledge, farming and horticultural skills).” —Fry and Kalantidou, 2014, page 16 <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c4f9781fef3bec79f40f2d0d75dcbdd43ee8587239fa44799a03ed060fb5cab8/019-1.JPG" data-mid="102213449" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c4f9781fef3bec79f40f2d0d75dcbdd43ee8587239fa44799a03ed060fb5cab8/019-1.JPG" /> Fruit stand by the side of the road – in season (Guarçoni, 9 Aug 2020, Colatina) From their work it becomes clear that design has been used to not only&nbsp; perpetuate but also propagate neocolonial ideas and values and therefore been an&nbsp; instrumental arm of globalization. Much like colonial rules that prohibited the expression of any form of cultural manifestation from the African continent in the&nbsp; Americas, the Anglo+European hegemony in design serves the same purpose of suffocating other epistemologies while imposing a false idea of supremacy by monopolizing the field (Fry and Kalantidou, 2014). This dynamic presents the “double&nbsp; face of modernity/coloniality” in the way that it consolidates “Eurocentrism as a system&nbsp; of interconnected knowledges” (modernity) while simultaneously “dismissing&nbsp; principles of knowing and knowledge created in non-European languages and non European systems of belief” (coloniality) (Mignolo, 2018, pp 197).&nbsp; Once we understand that design practices are built from a specific theory of&nbsp; knowledge (epistemology) specific to the culture from which it came, it becomes quite&nbsp; obvious that different cultures have inherently different methods of practicing design&nbsp; (Krenak, 2019). That statement’s potential should invite us to dream of endless learning opportunities, and it would... if it were not for the hierarchy of epistemologies ingrained into us as practitioners and consumers which have disabled us from seeing different ontologies as rich and valuable (Mignolo, 2018). In order to begin to dismantle that hierarchy and its accompanying bias against different realities we might want to look at Franz Boaz’s original notes on cultural relativism; <img width="2448" height="2448" width_o="2448" height_o="2448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e8f6d10ffccb683eb66df52f85fc5eef3e2e6e301030dca5750872fa6263606c/21.JPG" data-mid="102214151" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e8f6d10ffccb683eb66df52f85fc5eef3e2e6e301030dca5750872fa6263606c/21.JPG" /> Brasil/Babylon–communication tower na terra da Gambiarra.&nbsp;(Guarçoni, 24 Mar 2016, São Paulo) “[Boaz] became convinced that all education is relative. All civilization is relative. All culture, in a way, is relative to a time and a place. What it means to be a full, mature adult, what it means to be smart, what genius is depends on when you're asking about it, where you're asking about it, the context you're asking about it in.”&nbsp; —Charles King in Arablouei and Abdelfatah, 2020 ︎︎︎Back to Index Chapter 2: Gambiarra—Another Ontological Approach︎︎︎ https://latinxsual.com/Luma-Guarconi-Gambiarra-Chapter-2 Mon, 15 Mar 2021 11:59:20 +0000 Latinx Collective https://latinxsual.com/Luma-Guarconi-Gambiarra-Chapter-2 An Ode to the Gambiarra Chapter 2—Gambiarra, Another Ontological Approach <img width="2448" height="3264" width_o="2448" height_o="3264" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8144d53b91e1d2a097c59046cfa00cf61d0d56fa54d4ee4932ca0e087dd0ca0f/23.2.JPG" data-mid="102214957" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8144d53b91e1d2a097c59046cfa00cf61d0d56fa54d4ee4932ca0e087dd0ca0f/23.2.JPG" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/17d5fa7ca8759439da6e206b16baba0eca9a7c9b8b2fcff72ee2dcc4e3c8a548/23.1.JPG" data-mid="102215006" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/17d5fa7ca8759439da6e206b16baba0eca9a7c9b8b2fcff72ee2dcc4e3c8a548/23.1.JPG" /> <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7e0d4934e3ecd173b67bd6759d1b63b1be71092229a4f12f815fc4f8ed2df69b/23.3.JPG" data-mid="102221976" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7e0d4934e3ecd173b67bd6759d1b63b1be71092229a4f12f815fc4f8ed2df69b/23.3.JPG" /> 1. Paint tin + concrete = table stabilizer (Guarçoni, 14 Jan 2021, Guarapari)&nbsp;2.&nbsp;Paint tin + concrete = no parking (Guarçoni, 15 Nov 2016, São Paulo)&nbsp;3. Paint tin + cut in half + broom stick = dustpan (Guarçoni, 20 Nov 2020, Ilha do Frade)&nbsp; In order to start considering other epistemologies of design, a key term that must be understood is ontological design -a term with complex nuances and theoretically rooted in Heideggerian thought of notions or worlding and worldhood- which is, in its simplest form, what Willis calls “a double movement—we design our&nbsp; world, while our world acts back on us and designs us” (2006, pp 80) or as Escobar&nbsp; states: “ we design our world, and our world designs us back—in short, design designs.” (2018, pp 4). This implies a continuous mutual influence that we exert over&nbsp; our world and that our world exerts over us, not a one-time occurrence nor a one-way street but a reciprocal synergy of our constant development that goes much deeper than notions such as environmental determinism (Willis, 2006) &nbsp; This can have something of a “chicken or the egg” dilemma in that it opens the&nbsp; space for us to question if we are a specific way because of the things we design; or;&nbsp; if we design those things because we are a specific way (Escobar, 2018); and although the continuous and mutual characteristic of ontological design should render that&nbsp; question null there is perhaps a more interesting line of thought to be pursued: are the things we design a reflection of who we are or are the processes by which we get there&nbsp; a more accurate window into the essence of a culture? (Moura Wanderley, 2013) &nbsp; “Implicit in this question is the challenge to think of design as a process which, often, reveals itself more important than the final result given that it amplifies and potentializes the comprehension of objects and of the actions involved in their creation.” —Moura Wanderley, 2013, page 17 <img width="2880" height="1622" width_o="2880" height_o="1622" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/46e497987793553302d677c68ffd04ab840e75ca423acb1137bd3c6975243df7/Screen-Shot-2021-01-16-at-8.21.22-PM.png" data-mid="102216326" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/46e497987793553302d677c68ffd04ab840e75ca423acb1137bd3c6975243df7/Screen-Shot-2021-01-16-at-8.21.22-PM.png" /> Still from film IV – feira móvel (Gambiarra, 2020) With that thought in mind I want to introduce Gambiarra—a word from Brazilian&nbsp; Portuguese that, in its most direct iteration, denotes a creative process of improvisation by which designed objects are subverted to address a different set of necessities (Naumann Boufleur, 2013). The term is actually much richer and invites an infinitely deeper exploration that goes beyond the ability of this paper, but some key points made by Naumann Boufleur are: 1) a subversion of the industrialized&nbsp; artefact post consumption, 2) the act of improvising material solutions with utilitarian&nbsp; purposes, 3) its response to an individual’s need vs that of society, and 4) its embeddedness in a particular socioeconomic context (2013). Gambiarra is one of those cultural terms that is extremely difficult to define or translate because of its deep cultural roots, it signifies a creative process, but it goes a long way beyond that; it is an omnipresent spirit in the collective creative consciousness of a country, the most exciting manifestation do jeitinho brasileiro. <img width="3024" height="2268" width_o="3024" height_o="2268" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f6185a209a9fc1357ab6db365b213aedccac39c1e3ca53088b05985cd4f03022/26.2-.jpg" data-mid="102217223" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f6185a209a9fc1357ab6db365b213aedccac39c1e3ca53088b05985cd4f03022/26.2-.jpg" /> Broken window + tape = fixed window (Guarçoni, 25 Nov 2020, Vitória) A popular definition is “Grande Artifício da Mecânica Brasileira Inventada para Arrumar, Recuperar, ou Realizar Algo” (Great Artifice of Brazilian Mechanics Invented to Fix, Recuperate or Accomplish Something) or as the narrator of the film “Gambiarra” (2020) explains “Gambiarras are resources used to resolve a problem, generally utilizing objects for functions which they were not originally projected to accomplish”.&nbsp; Before we can assess whether Gambiarra could be considered a counter&nbsp; narrative to the hegemonic design epistemology of western patriarchal modernity (Escobar, 2018) we need to set parameters for that which we consider design to be. Since we are working within Willis’s definition of ontological design in order to recognize that design is not created from an objective point of view but more so a reflection of the world in which the creator inhabits (2006), then there is an important concept that we must reconcile with if we are to legitimize the Gambiarra as a valid practice. <img width="750" height="937" width_o="750" height_o="937" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3ed2876542432e1ff0db99ef187bdafe7b2025037a038de3871db8137e5ef58f/24.2.PNG" data-mid="102218360" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/750/i/3ed2876542432e1ff0db99ef187bdafe7b2025037a038de3871db8137e5ef58f/24.2.PNG" /> <img width="3024" height="3780" width_o="3024" height_o="3780" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c0005ae8e9b765423dbab9257b5eb3814cab0926ea759fb0163edafb3b806ee9/24.1-copy.jpg" data-mid="102218279" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c0005ae8e9b765423dbab9257b5eb3814cab0926ea759fb0163edafb3b806ee9/24.1-copy.jpg" /> <img width="3024" height="3780" width_o="3024" height_o="3780" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1de9f10d5f2bffca5fab67a20499b4c25d9a3469181c9a0d9c27ded8148a6f81/extra.3-v2.jpg" data-mid="103217486" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1de9f10d5f2bffca5fab67a20499b4c25d9a3469181c9a0d9c27ded8148a6f81/extra.3-v2.jpg" /> Chairs and bin made of tires. Guarçoni, 2020 “Designing is fundamental to being human—we design, that is to say, we&nbsp; deliberate, plan and scheme in ways which prefigure our actions and makings”&nbsp; —Willis, 2006, page 80&nbsp; Willis states planning as one of the key features of design yet the instances&nbsp; where I felt my design abilities were more explicitly put to the test were times when I had to solve issues with no premeditation or forethought, when, by not having the ideal&nbsp; material or tool, I was challenged to find a solution through unexpected ways. Similarly, the reality of Gambiarra is that it happens spontaneously through improvisation, which&nbsp; Naumann Boufleur explains: “Improvisation can involve chance, accidental movements, irregularities, lack of planning, preparation or plan” &nbsp; —Naumann Boufleur, 2013, page 8&nbsp; <img width="2448" height="2448" width_o="2448" height_o="2448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9fd1ec8a26eac9530dee203af32a818b883808a814a21f094f30a9d9e424158f/30.JPG" data-mid="102221154" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9fd1ec8a26eac9530dee203af32a818b883808a814a21f094f30a9d9e424158f/30.JPG" /> <img width="1134" height="1516" width_o="1134" height_o="1516" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ba42bf4141921f8c1b52f4b006c91ea2d8617a413b31e57516e198bbd27463c8/28.png" data-mid="102220957" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ba42bf4141921f8c1b52f4b006c91ea2d8617a413b31e57516e198bbd27463c8/28.png" /> 1.&nbsp;Beleza do cotidiano (Guarçoni, 24 Mar 2016, São Paulo) 2. Chairs made out of canvas and stretcher bars (Guarçoni, 15 Apr 2019, Havana) These points are clearly contradictory, but I believe there is something to be&nbsp; said about Gambiarra’s spontaneity; its immediateness is reflective of characteristics&nbsp; that are fundamental to most definitions of design, which is that of problem solving and&nbsp; of innovation (of use of materials and tools in this case). To me this type of&nbsp; resourcefulness is one of the most brilliant iterations of design, a sentiment that I see&nbsp; as being echoed by Escobar’s analysis of cultural critic Ivan Illich in his statement,&nbsp; here simplified, that a limited set of tools and materials could foster diversity of&nbsp; ontologies and stimulate creativity (2015, cited in Escobar, 2018). It is worthy of mention that this improvisation happens not necessarily by the desire of the creator, but more so by the context in which they find themselves. The idea of Gambiarra is intrinsically linked to a lack of material resources and a scenario of precariousness; this spontaneity of design is simultaneously a spirit that can be seen throughout the culture (Moura Wanderley, 2013) but also a response to a&nbsp; vulnerable socioeconomic reality within a capitalist society (Naumann Boufleur, 2013).&nbsp; It is therefore unsurprising that Brasil is not the only country where these&nbsp; manifestations of vernacular design take place, in fact they are quite common through&nbsp; much of the Global South, but for the purpose of this paper the focus will remain on&nbsp; the Brazilian/Brasileiro territory and expand on its peculiarities and connection to the&nbsp; idea of a national creative identity. <img width="2004" height="1452" width_o="2004" height_o="1452" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/77d46c40d2fba36a51d4ace631803428a1aba3611bdc316f957ef36a262ec9ae/29.1.png" data-mid="102218685" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/77d46c40d2fba36a51d4ace631803428a1aba3611bdc316f957ef36a262ec9ae/29.1.png" /> <img width="1948" height="1410" width_o="1948" height_o="1410" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/faec6d3c202f969395e697745145a916e423a92011fb4419efc42b0aebda51d0/29.2.png" data-mid="102218686" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/faec6d3c202f969395e697745145a916e423a92011fb4419efc42b0aebda51d0/29.2.png" /> 1. Still from film II—Barracas (Gambiarra, 2020) &nbsp;2.&nbsp;Still from film III—Feira (Gambiarra, 2020) The film “Gambiarra” is a reflection of a society that has improvisation as a politico-economic-structural process. It is an attempt, a misunderstanding, an epistemological ‘swagger’, whose final objective is to make clear that poverty isn’t, nor has it ever been, a condition of degradation in this country.” —Viana, 2020 As enchanting and poetic as these creative expressions can seem, it&nbsp;is utterly&nbsp; important to not erase the financial hardship imbued in these design solutions and to acknowledge them as forms of resistance to capitalist imposition (Moura Wanderley,&nbsp; 2013; Naumann Boufleur, 2013). These two aspects - rich creative solutions and impoverished social situations - are well exemplified in Maria Cecilia Loschiavo dos Santos’s work with homeless communities where she points out the marginalized and&nbsp; ostracized position these individuals occupy within society with their potential for&nbsp; innovation- “In each of these places the material culture of the homeless reveals their creativity, ingenuity and the spontaneity of their design” (Loschiavo dos Santos, 2014,&nbsp; pp 199) “‘Out of poverty, poetry; out of suffering, song...’ —a Mexican saying” &nbsp; —Anzaldúa, 1987, page 65 ︎︎︎Back to Index Chapter 3: Creative Homecoming︎︎︎ https://latinxsual.com/Luma-Guarconi-Gambiarra-Chapter-3 Mon, 15 Mar 2021 12:12:05 +0000 Latinx Collective https://latinxsual.com/Luma-Guarconi-Gambiarra-Chapter-3 An Ode to the Gambiarra &nbsp; Chapter 3—Creative Homecoming <img width="703" height="703" width_o="703" height_o="703" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1ccbb9c3c7b2b99f4324af7637063737ae37cf91d51f2f9fdafc0dbf05b4dcbe/31-copy.jpg" data-mid="102977594" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/703/i/1ccbb9c3c7b2b99f4324af7637063737ae37cf91d51f2f9fdafc0dbf05b4dcbe/31-copy.jpg" /> O Brazil tá matando o Brasil (no author, no date) I will open this chapter by clarifying that this paper is speaking to notions of&nbsp; (*)Brasil and not Brazil, a sentiment brilliantly articulated by Blanc and Tapajós (1978) in their song “Quarellas do Brasil” when they boldly stated that “O Brazil tá Matando o&nbsp; Brasil, (...) O Brazil não merece o Brasil, (...) O Brazil não conhece o Brasil” (Brazil is killing Brasil, (...) Brazil doesn't deserve Brasil (...) Brazil doesn’t know Brasil). In such simple lyrics they were able to capture the complex dynamic between Brazil—an exotic tropical place in the global collective subconscious that grew fond of that vision of itself&nbsp; and took it on as a marketable identifier (Karentzos, 2019)—versus Brasil—a country&nbsp; that exists far away from the western gaze and operates within its own parameters,&nbsp; where palm trees are nothing but a place to get water from (Hélio Oiticica, 2014). &nbsp; <img width="3264" height="2446" width_o="3264" height_o="2446" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/52b19827806322bcc8f938179f0f7781e526139a30021c5c2146369cac20f6da/32.2.JPG" data-mid="102225072" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/52b19827806322bcc8f938179f0f7781e526139a30021c5c2146369cac20f6da/32.2.JPG" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b793a49af3c1e1b88824a42c35881298a4aa255fc15192990b753bd98ad9097d/32.3.JPG" data-mid="102225074" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b793a49af3c1e1b88824a42c35881298a4aa255fc15192990b753bd98ad9097d/32.3.JPG" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1225550c74d052e30fff60a98e3906dfee97e5f5f47cbf2140f36015aae6d56d/32.1.JPG" data-mid="102225069" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1225550c74d052e30fff60a98e3906dfee97e5f5f47cbf2140f36015aae6d56d/32.1.JPG" /> 1. Coconut water drive-thru—middle of the highway (Guarçoni,&nbsp; 2 Jul 2016, Goiás) 2.&nbsp;Coconut water stand (Guarçoni, 18 Dec 2020,&nbsp; Vitória) 3.&nbsp;Coconut water to-go (Guarçoni, 12 Dec&nbsp; 2020, Guarapari) “Brasilidade2 is beautiful! Contrary to Brazil, which was invented, Brasilidade created itself enthralled in the sound of a lot of brega3, resistance, rala bucho4 and a whole lot of irreverence" —Brazil 1,99, 2020a 2 Indicating state, condition and the quality of being from Brasil - roughly translates to “Brazilianness”. 3 Brega is a genre of popular music in Brasil, typically associated with “low quality” and very marginalized, low in the ‘erudite’ hierarchy of good music—‘brega’ literally translates into “tacky” and “unfashionable” 4 Rala bucho is a colloquial expression from the northeast of Brasil (a region often associated with poverty and uneducation) to indicate dancing - literally translates to “scrape stomach” With that distinction in mind, it becomes interesting to briefly mention a&nbsp; movement of classically trained artists turning to the Gambiarra with more appreciative eyes after contact with established western institutions. This movement is not situated in historical time but in personal time; a time in one’s career where a ‘creative&nbsp; homecoming’ begins to take place, when after being exposed to an overwhelming saturation of western practices—which is unavoidable within the context of a globalized world that imposes a hegemonic narrative over others (Fry and Kalantidou, 2014; Mignolo, 2018; Escobar, 2018)—one retreats inward searching for the creative essence of one’s roots. In line with this are works such as the 2020 film “Gambiarra”, who’s co-creator Luiza Herdy returned to Brasil in 2017 after completing her BA in Film Production from the University of the Arts London; <img width="2380" height="1436" width_o="2380" height_o="1436" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/35114664b05552f24432b828fa8a97eebc919de529e30f12ba345834d078ff22/Screen-Shot-2021-01-16-at-8.20.38-PM.png" data-mid="103254268" border="0" data-scale="92" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/35114664b05552f24432b828fa8a97eebc919de529e30f12ba345834d078ff22/Screen-Shot-2021-01-16-at-8.20.38-PM.png" /> <img width="2065" height="1162" width_o="2065" height_o="1162" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5170d196d17e756c9d537f1c10fa5bd743c28460fa266348fd256efa21dfaf0c/Screen-Shot-2021-01-16-at-8.02.06-PM.png" data-mid="103254459" border="0" data-scale="92" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5170d196d17e756c9d537f1c10fa5bd743c28460fa266348fd256efa21dfaf0c/Screen-Shot-2021-01-16-at-8.02.06-PM.png" /> Cao Guimarães’s photographic series from 2000-2014 “Gambiarras” which began two decades into his artistic practice;&nbsp; <img width="1840" height="1362" width_o="1840" height_o="1362" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5362182b5f4496562ead0115848cef96cbc0ef012a2f6d10f27c335c83b55786/100-2008.png" data-mid="102226042" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5362182b5f4496562ead0115848cef96cbc0ef012a2f6d10f27c335c83b55786/100-2008.png" /> <img width="1024" height="1370" width_o="1024" height_o="1370" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8d9f29c7ff142fdd37da707b4d27ed5fff01cecd37b89da3e8ff0f1e8b926e9c/64-2007.png" data-mid="102226041" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8d9f29c7ff142fdd37da707b4d27ed5fff01cecd37b89da3e8ff0f1e8b926e9c/64-2007.png" /> <img width="1016" height="1370" width_o="1016" height_o="1370" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/70e3b7661e0ff37f5d01ebbfcc8fc4b7ba9d3adddf13590f666e4fbaa16a2790/36-2005.png" data-mid="102226038" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/70e3b7661e0ff37f5d01ebbfcc8fc4b7ba9d3adddf13590f666e4fbaa16a2790/36-2005.png" /> <img width="650" height="487" width_o="650" height_o="487" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b6b033b89ff5b7b2e4c0b4147b5140b6be8888a5ba8958a32db93b31c7215c35/59-2007.jpg" data-mid="102226040" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/650/i/b6b033b89ff5b7b2e4c0b4147b5140b6be8888a5ba8958a32db93b31c7215c35/59-2007.jpg" /> <img width="256" height="360" width_o="256" height_o="360" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6542b877baf9e41640f5663c69663e49f5d4f49690d6212a77eb7978999f6590/17-2005.JPG" data-mid="102226036" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/256/i/6542b877baf9e41640f5663c69663e49f5d4f49690d6212a77eb7978999f6590/17-2005.JPG" /> <img width="510" height="360" width_o="510" height_o="360" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b0c642500b84db9c1e798e4d51145d44fb227d8716edfe1a41749f8cb653f98f/20-2005.JPG" data-mid="102226037" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/510/i/b0c642500b84db9c1e798e4d51145d44fb227d8716edfe1a41749f8cb653f98f/20-2005.JPG" /> <img width="1952" height="1092" width_o="1952" height_o="1092" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6d8bd7663234255854717708c965751db14d8964a26fb6380398cb9e780c8fa9/50-2005.png" data-mid="102226039" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6d8bd7663234255854717708c965751db14d8964a26fb6380398cb9e780c8fa9/50-2005.png" /> The Campana Brothers oeuvre but especially the “Favela Chair” and&nbsp; “Detonado”; <img width="1008" height="1148" width_o="1008" height_o="1148" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6aa55cc9454dfae4711d5340c4be992bbaa8ca8116d7cbc4412579718e95f36f/Screen-Shot-2021-01-17-at-6.04.22-PM.png" data-mid="102226249" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6aa55cc9454dfae4711d5340c4be992bbaa8ca8116d7cbc4412579718e95f36f/Screen-Shot-2021-01-17-at-6.04.22-PM.png" /> <img width="2100" height="1128" width_o="2100" height_o="1128" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f654b73fdd32f8921654c93942bb1f0723c4ce14a72eacc1928e5fb52352f16b/Screen-Shot-2021-01-17-at-6.47.17-PM.png" data-mid="102226250" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f654b73fdd32f8921654c93942bb1f0723c4ce14a72eacc1928e5fb52352f16b/Screen-Shot-2021-01-17-at-6.47.17-PM.png" /> And lastly, but perhaps most pertinent in this case, my own graduate collection which is still in development.&nbsp; <img width="1792" height="2240" width_o="1792" height_o="2240" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e8651b750a1048f789f4988c61cbb3e50be26cf7acdad8bfd1f7b5a50461124d/LG-WIP-2.png" data-mid="103208334" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e8651b750a1048f789f4988c61cbb3e50be26cf7acdad8bfd1f7b5a50461124d/LG-WIP-2.png" /> <img width="2158" height="2699" width_o="2158" height_o="2699" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/02258ed6ed3dfb08ac015f32eb6a9c41209ea71df9cfff538a76e7cbe9ac1c5f/Lg-WIP-1.png" data-mid="103207795" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/02258ed6ed3dfb08ac015f32eb6a9c41209ea71df9cfff538a76e7cbe9ac1c5f/Lg-WIP-1.png" /> Given that I cannot have the pretense of knowing these artists true intentions nor their feelings about this ‘creative homecoming’, I now speak from both personal&nbsp; experience as well as my own perception of their practices as it parallels my own journey. What I find most notable is not the time between when an artist begins their practice and when this ‘homecoming’ takes place (this can vary greatly) but the fact that this search for an authentic manifestation never comes right away, it isn’t their first&nbsp; work or second or third. It might be obvious that you can only have a homecoming after departing from home, but what I want to emphasize is deeper than that. I am interested in the fact that only after witnessing other perspectives and learning the ‘civilized’ practice do we feel we have the right to return to something so vernacular,&nbsp; so ‘banal’, so ‘unprofessional’ and ‘low-brow’ as it might be seen from western lenses (Escobar, 2018; Fry and Kalantidou, 2014). “Orlando over Olinda5. Mcqueen over Herchcovitch6. Coq Au Vin over Pato no Tucupi7. What does the gringo have? Did we forget the baiana?8(...) Why do we tend to value more what's foreign if what is national is so rich and colorful? (...)”&nbsp; —Brazil 1,99, 2020b 5 Orlando, Florida (which is one of the most popular vacation destinations for Brazilians) versus&nbsp; Olinda, Pernambuco (beautiful vacation destination in the northeast of Brasil which is more&nbsp; appreciated by ‘gringos’ than by Brazilians).&nbsp; 6 Alexander McQueen (famous British fashion designers) versus Alexandre Herchcovitch (one of the&nbsp; most renowned Brazilian fashion designers). 7 Coq au Vin (‘fancy’ French dish of chicken braised with wine) versus Pato no Tucupi (traditional&nbsp; Brazilian dish of duck braised with tucupi sauce [manioc root extract] from the Northern region).&nbsp; 8 Reference to Dorival Caymmi song “O que é que a baiana tem” famously performed by Carmen&nbsp; Miranda in a call and answer style asking “what does the baiana have?” and then enumerating their&nbsp; traits and characteristics - ‘baiana’ is a term to refer to women from the state of Bahia but also a&nbsp; cultural almost folkloric figure of a dark skinned wise priestess of afro-brazilian religion.It is in this way that Gambiarra can be seen as a counterargument, as resistance and even as a healing towards the colonial mentality still existent within the Brazilian territory and deeply ingrained in Brazilian creatives. This mentality states that anything foreign will be better than everything local, it convinces us that there is nothing of value here (Mignolo, 2018), and it can only be found valuable if the West/Global North declares it to be so (usually through the process of commodification since in capitalism profit is the only true value something has) (Escobar, 2018;&nbsp; Kalantidou and Fry, 2014). This disregard for what is local as well as a perception of Gambiarra as something bad, unworthy, suspicious and even shameful are made explicit in the interviews conducted in the film “Gambiarra” (2020). <img width="2448" height="2448" width_o="2448" height_o="2448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7a18311f5bef5794faa6c4e33b35a43b2ec28aaadccb236cbb3513fd00bba908/extra.8.JPG" data-mid="103223946" border="0" data-scale="75" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7a18311f5bef5794faa6c4e33b35a43b2ec28aaadccb236cbb3513fd00bba908/extra.8.JPG" /> Hi-tech street smart (Guarçoni, 22 Mar 2016, São Paulo) “Globalisation (...) negates local economic knowledge, practices and values. But at the same time it appropriates anything and everything deemed to be able to be revalorised within the remit of its own economic regime. Nothing that can be exchanged exists beyond the reach of the means of commodification.” —Kalantidou and Fry, 2014, page 15 &nbsp;By existing outside capitalist parameters Gambiarra can be presented as a self referential idea of Brasilidade and a more genuine expression of Brazilian creativity than anything else proposed until this point. When compared to one of the most&nbsp; monumental points of this quest for a national creative identity—de Andrade’s 1928&nbsp; Anthropophagic Manifesto where he “called for European influences to be devoured as a way of transforming them into an autonomous Brazilian identity” (Karentzos,&nbsp; 2019, pp 232)—we can argue that Gambiarra is so patriotic that it does not reference Europe at all—it exists independent of it, not as a response to it. Gambiarra is only preoccupied with its own surroundings and not concerned with what is going on an&nbsp; ocean away; it lives in the present of a challenging reality that requires incomparable ingenuity; it is unapologetic for its resourcefulness, nor for its primitiveness. Gambiarra can be seen as the rebellious son of an intellectual Antropofagia. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cb6c747a9de955d0c4c9617c30dc85a776bacbc7af15e3fced4d8cf2f58eafa8/extra.7.JPG" data-mid="103223856" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cb6c747a9de955d0c4c9617c30dc85a776bacbc7af15e3fced4d8cf2f58eafa8/extra.7.JPG" />Broken window + tape = fixed window II (Guarçoni, 5 Nov 2019, Milan) “Gambiarra as expression of the spontaneous creativity and of the creative spontaneity do Brasileiro, a more authentic design than any&nbsp; anthropophagic manifesto could have ever predicted, a manifestation of a collective spirit that transcends any idea of resilience known abroad” —Guarçoni, Research diary, 26 October 2020 De Andrade began his Anthropophagic Manifesto by stating that “Onlyanthropophagy unites us. Socially. Economically. Philosophically.” (1928, pp 3) and in line with that sentiment I want to argue that “Só a Gambiarra nos liberta. Criativamente.&nbsp; Epistemológicamente. Estruturalmente” (Only Gambiarra liberates us. Creatively.&nbsp; Epistemologically. Structurally.). Back to Introduction and Conclusion︎︎︎ https://latinxsual.com/Luma-Guarconi-Gambiarra-Bibliography Mon, 15 Mar 2021 14:42:24 +0000 Latinx Collective https://latinxsual.com/Luma-Guarconi-Gambiarra-Bibliography An Ode to the Gambiarra Bibliography de Andrade, O. (1928) 'Manifesto Antropofago', Revista de Antropofagia, Ano 1 No 1&nbsp; (May), pp. 3-7. Available at: https://digital.bbm.usp.br/bitstream/bbm/7064/1/4500003 3273.pdf (Accessed: 9 December 2020). Anzaldúa, G. (1987) Borderlands: The New Mestiza = La Frontera. San Francisco,&nbsp; CA: Aunt Lute Books. Arablouei, R. and Abdelfatah, R. (2020) The Invention of Race [Throughline&nbsp; Podcast]. 19 November. Available at: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/936346847 (Accessed: 22 November 2020). Blanc, A. and Tapajós, M. (1978) Querellas do Brasil. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: Universal&nbsp; Music. Brazil 1,99. (2020a) 'A brasilidade é linda!' [Instagram]. 15 September. Available at: &nbsp;https://www.instagram.com/p/CFKcdPZFBwb/ (Accessed: 28 November 2020). Brazil 1,99. (2020b) Brazil 1,99. [IGTV] 2 March. Available at:&nbsp; https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9Px2TtlN0p/ (Accessed: 6 January 2021). DeRose, K. (2005) 'What is Epistemology?' A Brief Introduction to the Topic, Yale&nbsp; Campus Press. Available at: https://campuspress.yale.edu/keithderose/what-is epistemology/ (Accessed: 3 January 2021). Escobar, A. (2018) Designs for the Pluriverse : Radical Interdependence, Autonomy,&nbsp; and the Making of Worlds. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Fry, T. and Kalantidou, E. (eds.) (2014) Design in the Borderlands. New York, NY:&nbsp; Routledge.&nbsp; Gambiarra (2020) Directed by L. Herdy and S. Drew. Available at:&nbsp; https://vimeo.com/475196548 (Accessed: 22 November 2020). Helio Oiticica (2014) Directed by C.Oiticica Filho. [Documentary]. Inhotim, MG:&nbsp; Nossa Distribuidora. Karentzos, A. (2019) 'Traveling Fashion: Exoticism and Tropicalism', in Gaugele, E.&nbsp; and Titton, M. (eds.) Fashion and Postcolonial Critique. Berlin: Sternberg Press, pp.&nbsp; 230-245. Krenak, A. (2019) Ideias para adiar o fim do mundo. São Paulo, SP: Companhia Das&nbsp; Letras. Lorde, A. (1984) ‘The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House’ in:&nbsp; Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Berkeley, CA: Crossing Press, pp.110–114. Loschiavo dos Santos, M.C. (2014) ‘A Note from Brazil: looking at the production of&nbsp; design knowledge in Brazil’, in: Fry, T. and Kalantidou, E. (eds.) Design in the&nbsp; borderlands. New York, NY: Routledge, pp. 199–205. Mignolo, W. (2018) 'Eurocentrism and Coloniality: The Question of Totality of&nbsp; Knowledge', in Walsh, C. and Mignolo, W. (eds.) On Decoloniality: Concepts,&nbsp; Analytics, Praxis. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, pp 194-210 Mignolo, W. and Walsh, C. (2018) On Decoloniality : Concepts, Analytics, Praxis.&nbsp; Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Moura Wanderley, I. (2013) O Design dos "Outros": Interações Criativas na&nbsp; Produção Contemporânea de Artefatos. PhD Thesis. Faculdade de Arquitetura e&nbsp; Urbanismo na Universidade de São Paulo. Available at:&nbsp;https://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/16/16134/tde 05022014110055/publico/IngridWanderley.pdf (Accessed: 17 December 2020). Naumann Boufleur, R. (2013) Fundamentos da Gambiarra: A Improvisação Utilitária&nbsp; Contemporânea e seu Contexto Socioeconômico. PhD Thesis. Faculdade de&nbsp; Arquitetura e Urbanismo na Universidade de São Paulo. Available at:&nbsp; https://teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/16/16133/tde-02072013-134355/publico/Fundamentos_Gambiarra_Rodrigo_Boufleur_Revisada.pdf. (Accessed: 23 December 2020). Sobande, F. (2018) 'Accidental Academic Activism - Intersectional and&nbsp; (Un)intentional Feminist Resistance', Journal of Applied Social Theory: Special&nbsp; Edition: Futures and Fractures in Feminist &amp; Queer Education, 1(2). Available at: https://socialtheoryapplied.com/journal/jast/article/view/60/77 (Accessed: 26&nbsp; November 2020). Viana, I. (2020) 'Gambiarra', Amarello. Available at: https://amarello.com.br/2020/ 11/arte/cinema/a-gambiarra/ (Accessed: 4 December 2020). Willis, A.M. (2006).‘Ontological Designing’, Design Philosophy Papers, 4(2).&nbsp; Available at: https://www.academia.edu/888457/Ontological_designing [Accessed 23&nbsp; Nov. 2020]. ︎︎︎Back to Index https://latinxsual.com/Valeria-Ghersi-Designers-Steal-from-Peru Sat, 13 Mar 2021 19:17:45 +0000 Latinx Collective https://latinxsual.com/Valeria-Ghersi-Designers-Steal-from-Peru Why it’s so Easy for Fashion Designers to Steal from Peru and its Indigenous People The appropriation of Peruvian culture and garments by international fashion designers reveals a much deeper problem of institutional neglect within the country. By Valeria Ghersi <img width="446" height="669" width_o="446" height_o="669" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/302ddb684686567d68bc3fc52ad970b948442f6dae2d9c827b4b393c539dc5b4/9.-women-cutout.png" data-mid="102302546" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/446/i/302ddb684686567d68bc3fc52ad970b948442f6dae2d9c827b4b393c539dc5b4/9.-women-cutout.png" /> Women photographed by Martin Chambi in his studio in Cusco. Both wear indigenous clothing such as woven ponchos, aguayos (woven textile) and polleras (skirts). Peru is the prettiest in January when the sun –after which we named our currency– visits our coast, jungle and highlands. Its capital is sombre but charming in July when the sky turns grey, but not any grey, the kind of grey you can find under a donkey’s belly –as fittingly described by Peruvian writer Héctor Velarde Bergmann–, a grey so overpowering that it caused the city to be nicknamed Lima La Gris. It is ugly when prime time local TV shows air “comedians” performing skits in blackface, brownface and yellowface. It is cruel when citizens born in the capital shout racial slurs at Andean women wearing their colourful polleras in the streets. It is painfully ignorant when despite hearing the complaints of its Indigenous people it won’t acknowledge it has normalized racist and oppressive behaviours towards them. Under our neutralizing grey sky it is easy to see how we paint the city with bright yellows and greens but also how the paint has been smudged by tears and blood. Throughout Peru, its Indigenous communities are especially recognisable by their beautiful and distinctive garments; as a consequence many of them become the target of discrimination. Ultimately some distance themselves from them and adopt a more westernised way of dressing. Going even further back, to when the Spaniards colonised Peru, decrees where in place that prohibited people from wearing Peruvian traditional garments, which definitely still have a effect on how Peruvians dress and their views on traditional attires. Currently on record there are 55 Indigenous communities in Peru. The Quechua –who live in the Peruvian highlands and also in parts of Bolivia and Ecuador– wear woven blankets over their shoulders called llicllas and chullos on their heads, while the Asháninkas –from Junín, Ayacucho, Ucayali, Pasco, Huánuco and Cusco– wear tunics called cushmas and headpieces adorned with feathers for special occasions. There are countless more Indigenous communities, each with specific garments and traditions that make Peruvian culture infinitely richer. Their traditional attires are all incredibly striking, but we have somehow been tricked into believing that these garments are now a part of ancient history and have no place in contemporary Peru.&nbsp; <img width="1460" height="1999" width_o="1460" height_o="1999" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/67822b1eadc980b04c034db10f4e46b601323ed0c22d0551e7cb04085c25cf54/7.-Couple-from-Tinta---Martin-Chambi-v2.jpg" data-mid="102305115" border="0" data-scale="100" alt="Couple from Cuzco wearing traditional indigenous peruvian clothes," data-caption="Couple from Cuzco wearing traditional indigenous peruvian clothes," src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/67822b1eadc980b04c034db10f4e46b601323ed0c22d0551e7cb04085c25cf54/7.-Couple-from-Tinta---Martin-Chambi-v2.jpg" /> Couple from Tinta photographed by Martin Chambi It was only on the 15th of October of 2020 (three days after Indigenous Resistance Day) that the offensive “character” played by Peruvian “comedian” Jorge Benavides, La Paisana Jacinta, was banned from ever being aired again by the Judicial System. La Paisana Jacinta first aired in 1999 and it has continued to reinforce negative and racist stereotypes of the Indigenous Peruvian Andean woman for years. Benavides’ productions regularly showcase actors performing not only in blackface, brownface and yellowface but also wearing nose, lips and even eye-shape-altering prosthetics in vulgar “imitation” of whoever they are mocking that week. Over Zoom, Tarcila Rivera, an Indigenous Peruvian woman who has been an activist for Indigenous rights for over twenty-five years, tells me:&nbsp; “We [Indigenous women] [want to show the image], designs, costumes, life, knowledge, culture and textiles [of Indigenous communities] in a dignified way. We don't want to be seen as La Paisana Jacinta." Previously, in August of 2020 Peruvian professional surfer, Vania Torres, dressed as a Peruvian Indigenous woman –brownface included– while promoting makeup-removing wipes to her 58,700 Instagram followers. The (restricted) comments under her apology video –recorded after receiving backlash and in which she refused to acknowledge her wrongdoing– were even scarier to read. Most of them argued she had done nothing wrong, while the media, which had covered the news of her racist actions, only weeks later dutifully reported on Torres preparing for upcoming surf championships. The same year, news of the Black Lives Matter protests around the world –triggered by the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of policemen in May of 2020– reached Peru and caused a wave of “social media activism,” but also highlighted one of the many hypocrisies inside a country that was forever changed after being violently colonised. “Si choleas, quita tu post” [If you choleas, remove your post] was the slogan many repeated and reposted. Cholear refers to when people use the term cholo –used to refer to a person with mixed-blood heritage– as an insult, in a racist and derogatory manner. These posts highlighted that many alleged supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement in Peru were merely hopping on what they considered a “trendy North American movement” and were in fact racist in their own country. <img width="2300" height="3432" width_o="2300" height_o="3432" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/aa99b597c60c4e652793f3951dec4ee232adbed3e59628f2ecc44d91d48184d7/7.-Isabel-Mamani-Cuzco-Peru-1948-by-Martin-Chambi-v2.jpg" data-mid="102306362" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/aa99b597c60c4e652793f3951dec4ee232adbed3e59628f2ecc44d91d48184d7/7.-Isabel-Mamani-Cuzco-Peru-1948-by-Martin-Chambi-v2.jpg" /> Isabel Mamani, Cuzco Peru (1948) by Martin Chambi Most non-white Peruvians are discriminated against on a daily basis. Not only in a wider cultural context within Peru and the world, but as clothes and identity are so closely linked, this has also trickled down into international fashion, where original designs belonging to Indigenous communities are often used without asking for permission, giving credit or as a mere aesthetic that is never fully understood by neither the maker nor the viewer. For example, for his AW17 menswear collection Dries Van Noten presented knitted sweaters “inspired by” a traditional Peruvian knitted llama sweater. His design was a direct copy of the originals, which was invented in the Andes and was handmade–usually from alpaca yarn–by its residents to be worn amongst themselves. Due to the llama-figure they showcased they became very popular amongst tourists and are currently sold almost everywhere in Peru alongside other souvenirs. They have become the main source of income for the artisans producing them. Their price point is around 50 soles (roughly £20) while Van Noten’s retailed for roughly £700 at the time and were produced in Belgium. At the 2017 BOF Voices Summit–after receiving backlash for the sweater– the Belgian designer stated, “I was told I was a thief. It does not make sense to me as a citizen of the world that the only culture I am allowed to think about is Belgian folklore. Of course, we must be careful and sensitive. But why is it so different from a Belgian chef using olive oil?” His metaphor falls flat. Olive oil is an ingredient–not the main course. It is purchased to cook, the sartorial equivalent being if he had purchased alpaca yarn and had created his own design. “We stand against the illicit appropriation of designs and resources that originate from the knowledge of Indigenous people. It’s not fair that we are in the sector of extreme poverty when others enjoy the benefits of using our resources and arts. Peru would be greatly benefited if we had a government that defended its patrimony. All of this contributes to the economy but it is not valued,” Rivera states. <img width="1710" height="1558" width_o="1710" height_o="1558" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/122784b64fd3bda49d255d9dc1eed3de0c29d36fe59293d94c10d6d8f6f2b7d4/4.-Ashaninka-Necklace-screenshot-taken-from-Museo-Central-Youtube-Channel---Vestimenta-Tradicional-Ashaninka-Video.png" data-mid="102350970" border="0" data-scale="71" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/122784b64fd3bda49d255d9dc1eed3de0c29d36fe59293d94c10d6d8f6f2b7d4/4.-Ashaninka-Necklace-screenshot-taken-from-Museo-Central-Youtube-Channel---Vestimenta-Tradicional-Ashaninka-Video.png" /> Asháninka Necklace, still from Museo Central - Vestimenta Tradicional Asháninka In 2017 designer Naeem Khan was invited to Peru by PromPeru –a commission in charge of promoting the country in order to encourage tourism and exports. In 2018 his Autumn/Winter collection&nbsp;was partially inspired by Cusco’s traditional embroidery, boots, hats and llicllas (woven blanket). This was the government’s intent when they invited the Indian-American fashion designer to Peru, to have our wonderful textiles and craftsmanship showcased on an international platform such as NYFW. However, in a Vogue review by Brooke Bobb there is no mention of Peru at all, while in WWD’s review by Andrew Shang they vaguely mention Khan “blended Italian textiles with artisanal Peruvian handwork…” Additionally, the casting was predominantly white. Wouldn’t government funds be better invested by supporting local talent? We should not aim for our stories to be told by others and we must learn to value the richness of our own country before looking outside. The common concept that exists in many South American countries of thinking that “foreign is always better” was never true and is now more than ever extremely out-dated. “As a, sadly, colonist and racist country almost none of the state officials know about the advances that have been made in regards to the rights of Indigenous communities. Because they simply think there aren’t any…” Rivera states. In 2005 while working at Dior, John Galliano presented his Autumn Winter Couture collection. Although it was not entirely inspired by the Peruvian Indigenous women of the highlands, it was clear that her traditional attire had influenced him. Four out of the forty-three looks in the collection showed this very obviously. The renowned polleras, rounded hard hats, colour palette, embroidery, fabrics (especially one resembling the lliclla), silver handcrafted tupus (pins) and braided hair worn by the Peruvian and Bolivian Andean Women where all reinterpreted by the designer who was famous for ‘borrowing’ from other cultures at the time. Yes, this was 15 years ago, and as technically this was a couture collection he might not have made money directly from these looks, but what remains the same is the lack of intent to involve the people whose cultures are referenced and the idea of taking from them but giving nothing in return. It is frightening to see that so little has changed in all this time. Additionally, it comes as no surprise that the four looks which were strongly inspired by the Andean women were worn by white models. It is an incredibly horrid paradox that these white women are applauded and considered glamorous by the spectators when the women who inspired the garments are discriminated against for wearing the originals.&nbsp;Galliano’s AW02 collection also featured hats heavily inspired by the Peruvian chullo. Almost twenty years later, on the 24th of February of 2021, a hat from the AW02 collection was worn by FKA twigs on the shoot for the cover story of the most recent issue of The Face magazine. The hat was borrowed from the Mr Steven Philip Studio collection, who in an instagram post described it as a ‘Mohawk hat’, which was partially the inspiration for its shape but the main inspiration –the Peruvian chullo– was mentioned nowhere. <img width="472" height="776" width_o="472" height_o="776" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e28c7e366bf785606c9751c83ffa8e04f6d459a6226c970b87e74eafb24320ad/Screen-Shot-2021-02-01-at-10.28.32-PM.png" data-mid="103127367" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/472/i/e28c7e366bf785606c9751c83ffa8e04f6d459a6226c970b87e74eafb24320ad/Screen-Shot-2021-02-01-at-10.28.32-PM.png" /> <img width="1084" height="1546" width_o="1084" height_o="1546" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bdcd90e92abde52cf9d7bdeda6cf0dd6bee9a949782fe4facd0eceea949f8a2a/2.-Ashaninka-Amatsairentsi-screenshot-taken-from-Museo-Central-Youtube-Channel---Vestimenta-Tradicional-Ashaninka-Video.png" data-mid="102350960" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bdcd90e92abde52cf9d7bdeda6cf0dd6bee9a949782fe4facd0eceea949f8a2a/2.-Ashaninka-Amatsairentsi-screenshot-taken-from-Museo-Central-Youtube-Channel---Vestimenta-Tradicional-Ashaninka-Video.png" /> 1. Man from the Peruvian Andes wearing knitted and embroidered garments, from Vestidos Populares Peruanos by Arturo Jiménez Borja 2. Ashaninka amatsairentsi (crown) made of the carrizo plant and feathers (XX century), still from Museo Central - Vestimenta Tradicional Asháninka Vivienne Westwood’s AW Gold Label 2014 collection presented during Paris fashion week was partially inspired by the Peruvian Asháninkas. This happened two years after Westwood and Andreas Kronthaler visited Peru, invited by Cool Earth, a non-profit organisation working alongside rainforest communities to help them stop deforestation and climate change, of which they are patrons. Matthew Owen, the organization’s director, tells me they joined the trip to, “see the rainforest that their fundraising is helping protect and to speak with the community [about] how they could support Cool Earth partnerships further, with the aim of raising both funds and awareness on their return.” The AW14 collection was one of the fundraising events that resulted from their visit. The funds gathered went to Cool Earth’s projects to support the Asháninkas, which not only include financial support but also helping implement a sustainable agroforestry system for the Asháninkas’ coffee and cacao production. Unlike it is often seen, in this case the community that inspired the garments actively participated in some aspects of the show, “Jewelry designed and made by Asháninka artisans featured in Vivienne Westwood show. The show raised awareness of the Asháninka people and their fight to protect their forest amongst both the media and Vivienne’s large fanbase, whilst raising money for the partnership directly,” Owen says, which was done by asking attendees to make donations at the event. But, does Westwood put her money where her mouth is? In this case the answer seems to be yes. Westwood donated £1 million to Cool Earth after returning home from her trip to Peru, which the organization used to expand their work with the Asháninka community, who have to constantly fight to protect the forest in the Peruvian Amazon. Whilst in Peru, alongside Cool Earth representatives, Westwood and Kronthaler also met with the Vice Minister of the Strategic Development of Natural Resources “and discussed how Vivienne and Andreas could use their global platforms to raise awareness of the importance of local people protecting the rainforest.” Protecting their rainforest remains one of the biggest issues faced by Indigenous communities from the Amazon. In December of 2020, eight leaders from Indigenous communities located in Huánuco and Ucayali were forced to travel to Lima to demand protection from the government, as they had received continuous death threats from drug trafficking mafias and illegal loggers. Before this at least four Indigenous leaders had already been assassinated –in 2020 alone– for defending their land. <img width="1218" height="1300" width_o="1218" height_o="1300" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/577d9a5b6014b723f970627fa371845e80d2646729ebc70d293010590c0db952/3.-Ashaninka-Cushma-screenshot-taken-from-Museo-Central-Youtube-Channel---Vestimenta-Tradicional-Ashaninka-Video.png" data-mid="102307674" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/577d9a5b6014b723f970627fa371845e80d2646729ebc70d293010590c0db952/3.-Ashaninka-Cushma-screenshot-taken-from-Museo-Central-Youtube-Channel---Vestimenta-Tradicional-Ashaninka-Video.png" /> <img width="514" height="800" width_o="514" height_o="800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9f510356fca91eda651f1a36827d54334d0965bd4542da0471ab616521dbeb71/6.-Ashaninkas-wearing-cushmas-photographed-by-Mauro-Almeida.jpg" data-mid="102307517" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/514/i/9f510356fca91eda651f1a36827d54334d0965bd4542da0471ab616521dbeb71/6.-Ashaninkas-wearing-cushmas-photographed-by-Mauro-Almeida.jpg" /> 1. Asháninka people wearing cushmas (tunics), amatsairentsi (crown) as well as beaded and woven aparinas (diagonal belt), photographed by Mauro Almeida 2. Asháninka Cushma, still from Museo Central - Vestimenta Tradicional Asháninka Out of all of these examples –excluding Westwood’s work with the Asháninkas, which was a mutually beneficial collaboration– something that stands out is the passivity and lack of action from the Peruvian government to defend the intellectual property (IP) of their Indigenous communities. In Mexico, when the design of a poncho from the Purépecha community was copied by Isabel Marant, the Mexican Minister of Culture, Alejandra Frausto Guerrero, immediately issued a letter directed towards the label calling Marant out for cultural appropriation. She cited resolution 33/20 adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in 2016 regarding the cultural rights and the protection of cultural heritage, The American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and UNESCO's Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and demanded a response as to how the use of these designs would be beneficial for the communities who created them. The label then offered a questionable apology in the form of a letter that stated they were saddened that their poncho “was perceived as” cultural appropriation and that “if” they had disrespected the Puréchepa community they offered their sincerest apologies. However, the fact that a government protected their Indigenous people and that this lead to an apology from an international label –who stated they remained at the Mexican’s government disposal to consider joint actions– made a clear statement: they would not allow this to happen, and this was major. “Indigenous women consider that the government should defend the IP rights of Indigenous and national patrimony, such as the arts and designs inherited from our elders as a heritage from past civilizations,” Rivera firmly states. Josefa Nolte is the former General Director of the General Directorate of Crafts, which is part of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism. When active in the position Nolte, alongside her team, worked directly with Indigenous communities to help them improve the production, management and processes of artisanal goods. She tells me that currently there is no inventory of the different traditional garments belonging to Indigenous communities. This is the first big hurdle faced in the journey for the protection of the Indigenous communities’ IP. If traditional garments are not properly documented, how can they be protected? “There are no laws that protect collective intellectual property, there is no jurisprudence in this regard,” Nolte comments. Even though her department could not legally do anything about this issue she states that many designers have (and continue) to copy designs created by Indigenous communities and only in very few cases the designers give credit to the creators and pay the rights to use their design. When asked if it would be possible to contact a private organisation to protect or fine these copies she replies, “This should happen but [it does not as] there are no laws to protect them. What has worked is when pressure is applied by the press and through social media. There are no protocols in place.” Fashion law specialist, Annalucia Fasson Llosa, confirms, “In Peru there is still no law regarding cultural appropriation, a project was presented a couple of years ago but it did not prosper,” for unknown reasons. <img width="896" height="504" width_o="896" height_o="504" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c00132c45b8f9c21b5af138f8c3117c746650674d5e8d11b4ced4650f034c0c4/ashininka-1.gif" data-mid="102350336" border="0" data-scale="89" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/896/i/c00132c45b8f9c21b5af138f8c3117c746650674d5e8d11b4ced4650f034c0c4/ashininka-1.gif" /> Cushma and amatsairentsi as worn by Ashaninka peoples, courtesy of Instituto-e INDECOPI (The National Institute for the Defence of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property) says they cannot protect garments belonging to Indigenous communities, such as the Ashaninka’s cushmas, because they do not comply with the novelty requirement for them to be protected under a patent or under Author’s Right. They state that the design needs to be new and original to be protected by INDECOPI, therefore traditional garments that have been around for decades and who do not have identifiable ‘natural authors’ (specific people that can be named) cannot be protected through them and are now public domain. Using patents in INDECOPI for example, you could protect a new and specific design of a cushma but not the cushma as a whole as it is now public domain and is not “new”. INDECOPI does however protect traditional knowledge of Indigenous communities regarding biodiversity (Law Nº27811), such as their knowledge regarding medicinal plants; therefore it is still unclear why something similar could not be put into place regarding garments and textiles. There is a legal regulation included in the Decision 486 of the Andean Community in place that states that “Signs whose use in commerce would improperly affect a third party's right may not be registered as trademarks, in particular when:… they consist of the name of Indigenous, Afro-American or local communities, or the names, words, letters, characters or signs used to distinguish their products, services or the way they are processed, or that constitute the expression of their culture or practice, unless the request is presented by the community itself or with its express consent… ”. This however only offers protection within the Andean community and additionally INDECOPI can only offer protection inside of Peru therefore has no jurisdiction over copies that occur internationally. It is also important to consider that Peru’s economy is mainly informal. In August of 2020 Gestión newspaper stated that economist Kurt Burneo estimated the percentage of informal economy has risen to 90% while economist Cesar Peñaranda estimates it was around 80%. Most people in Peru do not register or formalise their businesses due to their inability to afford paying taxes and other costs mandatory for formal businesses, and therefore do not comply with the Decision 486 or any other for that matter. In 2017 the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) published a guide, which explains how Indigenous communities can indirectly protect their culture through tools provided by Intellectual Property such as Geographical Indications and Trademarks. This seems to be a ray of hope but of course the methods described are dependent on the laws of each country –some of which apply in Peru, like indirect protection through Distinctive Signs which can be provided by INDECOPI, and some which don’t. It is also important to question how accessible this information is to most Indigenous communities in Peru and if they are provided with enough assistance through the legal process, which can often require financial funds. When asked if they could interfere when designers from other countries copy designs belonging to Peruvian Indigenous communities –as it happened in Mexico in the example previously mentioned– the Directorate of Intangible Heritage of the Peruvian Ministry of Culture did not comment on the subject. <img width="1694" height="1336" width_o="1694" height_o="1336" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f7db0218c8c09fae004cc048a2b7d3e48660d370fb2320e36f3f014430217ad4/5.-Ashaninka-Women-screenshot-taken-from-Museo-Central-Youtube-Channel---Vestimenta-Tradicional-Ashaninka-Video.png" data-mid="102350972" border="0" data-scale="66" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f7db0218c8c09fae004cc048a2b7d3e48660d370fb2320e36f3f014430217ad4/5.-Ashaninka-Women-screenshot-taken-from-Museo-Central-Youtube-Channel---Vestimenta-Tradicional-Ashaninka-Video.png" />Asháninka women wearing cushmas, still taken from Museo Central - Vestimenta Tradicional Asháninka In 1994, Peru was one of the countries that ratified Convention 169 from the International Labour Organization –a specialized agency of the United Nations– which has two main principles: the right of Indigenous peoples to maintain and strengthen their own cultures, ways of life and institutions, and their right to participate effectively in decisions that affect them. The ratifying members of an ILO convention commit to adapt national legislation and to develop the pertinent actions in accordance with the statements encompassed in the Convention. Article 31 of The United Nations’ declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, adopted by the General Assembly in 2007 and for which Peru voted in favour of, states “Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as the manifestations of their sciences, technologies and cultures, including human and genetic resources, seeds, medicines, knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora, oral traditions, literatures, designs, sports and traditional games and visual and performing arts. They also have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their intellectual property over such cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions.”(access the whole text here). So why isn’t enough being done to set a precedent that states that it is not acceptable for people to take from Indigenous communities’ culture without their consent? Why aren’t governmental authorities speaking up or taking action when international copies happen? Why are we letting this happen over and over again? Until we as a country start valuing, respecting, safeguarding what is ours and fighting our internal battles we won’t be able to become a united front to stand up against others appropriating our cultures and taking advantage –whether intentionally or not– of the most underprivileged people in Peru. “[People] simply need to value the designs and take into consideration the communities that have maintained and inherit those designs… and respect them. Respect begins by consulting, asking for our opinion and involving us,” Rivera states. A Detailed look at the Beautiful Garments of Indigenous Peruvian CommunitiesImages from Vestidos Populares Peruanos by Arturo Jiménez Borja <img width="677" height="934" width_o="677" height_o="934" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/377517a05e088439d4bb273b390df551d497abf3c0d652295b719f5c224d7aca/cutout-7.png" data-mid="102242641" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/677/i/377517a05e088439d4bb273b390df551d497abf3c0d652295b719f5c224d7aca/cutout-7.png" /> <img width="614" height="447" width_o="614" height_o="447" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8ca9b9a1449057128714b60b20adc2b095f88d387d8b7f39ffeb0739c9d5a862/cutout-3.png" data-mid="102242637" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/614/i/8ca9b9a1449057128714b60b20adc2b095f88d387d8b7f39ffeb0739c9d5a862/cutout-3.png" /> <img width="807" height="603" width_o="807" height_o="603" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e6579405090e5c6a9f70f4a8d3f4098ae3e11e6285c04cb69cd4ed7de340bf01/cutout-2.png" data-mid="102242635" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/807/i/e6579405090e5c6a9f70f4a8d3f4098ae3e11e6285c04cb69cd4ed7de340bf01/cutout-2.png" /> 1.&nbsp;Shipiba Chemise 2.&nbsp;Rigid Poncho with Jaguar Skin from Puno 3.&nbsp;Wool Chumbis (girdles) Although it would be impossible to go through every aspect of the garments belonging to the Indigenous people of Peru, as there are over 55 different communities, I will briefly talk about some sartorial elements belonging to Indigenous communities in the Peruvian highlands and the Peruvian amazon. It is important to note that the way Peruvians dress has become considerably more westernised as time has gone by, but there are still Indigenous communities that maintain their traditional way of dressing, while some have adapted it and others wear their traditional garments only for special occasions. <img width="783" height="656" width_o="783" height_o="656" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b5163ab4adf0c943c89c935fc8d77c6890cc11410e240c43205cc8acded97451/cutout-6.png" data-mid="102242640" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/783/i/b5163ab4adf0c943c89c935fc8d77c6890cc11410e240c43205cc8acded97451/cutout-6.png" /> <img width="773" height="998" width_o="773" height_o="998" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/66366fdb4f3d339c3c3cc37f07d053bc8c02a88b074a04b3b515f4bdb4b93d91/cutout-1.png" data-mid="102242634" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/773/i/66366fdb4f3d339c3c3cc37f07d053bc8c02a88b074a04b3b515f4bdb4b93d91/cutout-1.png" /> Poncho (left) and Chullos (right) from Cusco In the Andes the Quechuas are constituted by different towns who speak Quechua as their first language. Men tend to wear chullos on their heads, short black trousers and chemises –usually white– known as aqsu and huwuna covered by colourful woven chilikus (similar to a poncho or vest). The women wear black skirts or polleras, usually embroidered with colourful designs, woven blankets over their shoulders (like a shawl) known as llicllas and colourful girdle-like belts called chumpis. Most of these, and the fabrics used to make them are manufactured by their wearers. In the Andes, most women and men wear shoes called are ojotas. In the past these black sandals were made from leather, which adjusted to the wearer’s feet as it dried, but now they are also made from old car tyres, which are cleverly cut and repurposed into shoes. The Spanish influence is often visible in some of the garments of the Andes. In Puno for example, (specially for festivities) women wear embroidered shawls with long fringes similar to the shawls from Manila, the capital of Philippines, which was formerly a Spanish colony. <img width="774" height="825" width_o="774" height_o="825" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fd40124a3002b70bfecee804f40a1445c8c5c9ac1abb264406eee21768e6f66a/cutout-4.png" data-mid="102242638" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/774/i/fd40124a3002b70bfecee804f40a1445c8c5c9ac1abb264406eee21768e6f66a/cutout-4.png" /> <img width="576" height="888" width_o="576" height_o="888" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/38d6884a807310f176da9cecf44ec069cd29219ca6ce8ea18dea6223676331ad/shipibo-dress-1.png" data-mid="103127368" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/576/i/38d6884a807310f176da9cecf44ec069cd29219ca6ce8ea18dea6223676331ad/shipibo-dress-1.png" /> <img width="438" height="941" width_o="438" height_o="941" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9b2c1ca0257f39489022a94527705a583bfc1c2033f3fafb602fb25a63ec274f/cutout-10.png" data-mid="102242644" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/438/i/9b2c1ca0257f39489022a94527705a583bfc1c2033f3fafb602fb25a63ec274f/cutout-10.png" /> <img width="316" height="987" width_o="316" height_o="987" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9353b6468619db9197a09686f99c3e405195c735437893b7fe6d890cad2a6062/cutout-11.png" data-mid="102242645" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/316/i/9353b6468619db9197a09686f99c3e405195c735437893b7fe6d890cad2a6062/cutout-11.png" /> 1. Asháninka Cushma (Tunic) 2.&nbsp;Aguaruna Tarachi (belted tunic) 3.Shipibo men wearing cushmas 4.&nbsp;Shipiba Cushma In the Peruvian Amazon the Ashaninka’s garments are made with vegetable fibres, mostly natural cotton. The most common garment, worn by both men and women is called cushma –which is also worn by Shipibo men, now mostly exclusively for special occasions. The ones worn on a daily basis are usually monochrome while the ones worn on special occasions are covered in intricate geometric designs. Asháninka women are taught how to make cushmas by their mothers –who are taught by their mothers. First they spin the cotton using a wooden spindle, then they dye the threads using plants like the kamanporiki and tree bark and finally they weave them using a backstrap loom. Cushmas worn by women are slit horizontally from shoulder to shoulder for the head opening (representing fertility) while men’s cushmas are slit vertically from chest to back (representing virility). Different accessories made out of seeds, such as necklaces, are also used to adorn their garments. Asháninka men weave crowns know as Amatsairentsi out of reed, their decorations –which can include macaw feathers– depend on the role of the wearer. They can serve to indicate positions of power such as who the leader or best warrior is and are also worn by female leaders. <img width="497" height="784" width_o="497" height_o="784" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c5d17e55fa83505a92c8fced3270fbad35519e9b1a1e79d17901a8fd1133dce5/Shipibo-pectoral.png" data-mid="103127370" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/497/i/c5d17e55fa83505a92c8fced3270fbad35519e9b1a1e79d17901a8fd1133dce5/Shipibo-pectoral.png" /> <img width="483" height="713" width_o="483" height_o="713" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/32413ec217d7f2cf4ccfb47e791039118ebcd1a65c7630136158a2f3dcd61909/shipibo-headdress.png" data-mid="103127369" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/483/i/32413ec217d7f2cf4ccfb47e791039118ebcd1a65c7630136158a2f3dcd61909/shipibo-headdress.png" /> <img width="609" height="371" width_o="609" height_o="371" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/71dd5a5cac9463bedd6d56ea9f2904e926b9ef23004e7a122e9cff8f1d1897c6/cutout-5.png" data-mid="102242639" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/609/i/71dd5a5cac9463bedd6d56ea9f2904e926b9ef23004e7a122e9cff8f1d1897c6/cutout-5.png" /> 1. Shipibo Chief wearing a beaded choker 2.&nbsp;Shipibo man wearing a chest piece and choker 3. Beaded Shipiba chokers About the Author <img width="950" height="1184" width_o="950" height_o="1184" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3872f1d7684bd7168a08c497291c07068ad3baf75a69a268ce4e8b38d02018a2/Screen-Shot-2021-03-08-at-12.08.12-PM.png" data-mid="102084730" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/950/i/3872f1d7684bd7168a08c497291c07068ad3baf75a69a268ce4e8b38d02018a2/Screen-Shot-2021-03-08-at-12.08.12-PM.png" /> Valeria Ghersi is a Fashion Journalist and writer born in Peru. In 2016 she moved to London to study a foundation course in Art and Design at Central Saint Martins, specialised in Fashion Communication. In 2017 she started her BA in Fashion Journalism at the same university. She is currently in the final year of her BA and will graduate in July 2021. During her time in London, Valeria has interned at Alexander McQueen and Maison Assouline, among others, and has written for print and online publications such as LOVE Magazine, LATEX Magazine and MW Magazine. In addition to her interest in journalism, she also likes to work with photography, video, and painting. Her focus is on writing about Peruvian and Latinx culture and talent as well as practicing sociocultural investigative journalism. She is currently working on starting her own publication to celebrate, highlight and show the diversity within the Latinx culture, which will be launched in May 2021. Key words: value, respect, safeguard. @valeghersi email: vghersiv@gmail.com