September, 16th, 2014

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.A Portrait.

Thank you #UlysseLemerise | #LaPresse

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“In South Sudan, the Festival for #Fashion and Arts for Peace was born two years ago. This event has a cultural agenda but also a political agenda because it brought a sense of togetherness and peace in the country* (ndlr: South #Sudan has been dealing with civil war for many years). This is what art, fashion and music does – it brings people together for a meaningful reconciliation. Fashion is a healer! Stories like South Sudan or the first fashion week for men in Pakistan that beautifully expressed men’s masculinity, are what attracts me. In Ecuador, Pachacuti means “world upside-down” in the Quechua language. It is the name of a respected brand by British woman Carry Somers describing her life journey to redress the inequalities in the global fashion industry through demonstrating that it is possible to run a successful retail and wholesale clothing business which benefits the producers and is environmentally sustainable, while raising, as a monoparental mom, her beautiful daughter Sienna. In the small, rural community where #Pachacuti works, the art of creating #Panama Hats is woven into the fabric of daily life: women weave on the bus, walking to market, on their way to the fields. Did you know that in late 2012, the #UNESCO declared that the art of weaving a Panama hat in Ecuador would be added to their list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, just like Chinese acupuncture and Spanish Flamenco? I didn’t. Founded on a passion for improving the lives of Andean producers and their communities, Pachacuti is committed to creating a successful, contemporary fashion and accessories business built on the foundation of Fair Trade. THIS is what we share with our readers in #ModeDiplomatique: affirmative and fashionable fashion.” #AlessandroBerga