Colombian fashion designer Adriana Santacruz is the ultimate connoisseur when it comes to the centuries-old practice of weaving and loom fixing. Up to this day, the ancient craft of weaving looms is still employed by indigenous communities in her region. By starting up an alliance and working together with local artisans, she has become more than well equipped in blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design concepts.
As a social entrepreneur avant la lettre, she has won the “Lapiz de Acero Azul” prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the world of Colombian design.
She is revered for her dedication to the craftsmen of her southern hometown Pasto and the opportunities she creates for the craftsmen, as well as the communities they live and work in. As such, she seeks to glorify tribal unity, revive ancient old techniques and support diversity.
With Adriana’s passion for traditionally woven and vibrant fabrics, she has developed two lines: a ready-to-wear line and a high-end line.
The ready-to-wear line offers fashionable pieces for which hand-woven fabrics are used, albeit sometimes in combination with more regular fabrics such as denim.
The high-end line on the other hand consists of one-of-a kind pieces that are solely made of hand-woven textiles. Taking 6 up to full 8 weeks to produce one single piece, these unique items are exclusively made to order. Her high-fashion creations include lavishly beautiful and exotic coats, dresses and stoles, all with a tribal yet contemporary look and feel.
The hand-woven fabrics used for both collections are a 100% made of organic cotton and wool, dyed with natural coloring. In tandem with her design philosophy, all of her items are manually made in the most literal sense of the word. Even the cuts are crafted by hand. As such, there’s no machinery to be found in Adriana’s atelier.