Moan is one of 37 models – male and female – from 15 indigenous peoples who have come to the northern city of Manaus, the largest metropolis in the Amazon, to take part in the first edition of the ‘Intercultural Exhibition of Indigenous Fashion’. At the fashion shows, which take place in April, the creations of 29 local designers are presented.
“It’s a form of resistance, a way to break down stereotypes,” says Reby Ferreira, 27, one of the organizers of the event.
“Unfortunately, here in Manaus, many people are ashamed or even afraid to admit that they have indigenous blood. Our goal is that everyone feels included and that through clothing we can show our culture to the whole world”.
The fashion designers use natural elements such as peccary teeth (a type of wild boar from the Amazon region), red guarana, acai seeds or coconut shells for their clothes.
The same geometric patterns can be found in the textiles as in the body paintings. Some depict initiation rites of indigenous youth. “My outfit evokes the ritual of young girls from the Ticuna people,” explains Kimpuramana, a 17-year-old model and stylist, who wears a white dress with intricate black diagonal stripes.
On the catwalk, before the models appear, a presenter announces what ethnicity they belong to and what the clothes and accessories they wear symbolize. On Saturday, the fashion shows took place at the Palacio Rio Negro, a building built at the beginning of the 20th century, during the golden age of rubber, and later converted into a cultural center.
“I feel privileged to be able to take part in such an event in this place. Usually we are excluded from these kind of places. Today I can see my people telling their story through fashion,” says Bianca Mura, a 24-year-old indigenous writer.
While the fashion shows are taking place in Manaus, 3,500 kilometers away in the capital Brasilia, thousands of indigenous people gather for the big annual ‘Terra Livre’ camp, (in English ‘Free Land’) to defend their rights and oppose Jair Bolsonaro’s government protest. The far-right president advocates the development of indigenous reserves, which are already severely affected by deforestation, for mining or agricultural use (AFP).
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk.