RAINE MAGAZINE Volume 16 | Innovate

Colombian designer Adriana
Santacruz exudes excitement when talking
about her work – eyes flash, hands gesture
dramatically and her face glows. No wonder.
In her world, fashion is an art form defined by
a love of beautiful garments walking hand in
hand with social responsibility and a desire
to preserve 3,000 year old traditions. Her
collections seamlessly blend contemporary
concepts with cultural roots. Each garment
is a timeless classic created by skilled local
artisans.
Fashion has always been a part of
Santacruz’s life. As a child she would dress
friends up in adult clothing and put on shows
to rounds of applause. As she grew, a new
passion emerged that would define her future
in fashion – the desire to rescue indigenous
traditions. University studies in Spain led
her to research the relationship between
scientific knowledge and tribal lore. On
return to Colombia, the designer’s successful
participation in Expoartesanias and Bogotá
Fashion Week propelled her into the media
spotlight. She quickly began to garner local
and international honors – El Lapiz de Acerro
Azul, Colombia’s highest fashion award; a
scholarship to study at the Istituto Marangoni
in Milan; the Bienal Latin American prize; an
invitation to share the runway with Agatha Ruiz
de la Prada: and more.
Santacruz’s collection is produced by
descendants of her local tribe – the ancestral
indigenous culture of “Los Pathos.” Working
closely with these aboriginal people brings
prosperity and improved conditions to their
village while allowing the designer to offer a
truly unique line. Local craftsmen work with
age-old techniques such as “the art of the four
rustic sticks” to weave fabric, which is then
dyed using traditional methods. The finished
garment offers a beautiful counterpoint to the
mass-produced work seen in today’s fashion
industry - a play between simplicity and
complexity that will surely become a cherished
part of one’s wardrobe.
Fall/Winter 2013 reflects
contemporary concepts blended seamlessly
with cultural roots and infused with a hint of
the Orient. The collection’s warm palette of
fall colours – yellow, brick, brown and black –
was created using Ikat, Tie Dye and Mooring
techniques. Hand-loomed fabrics are fashioned
into coats, ponchos and wraps. Silhouettes
drape softly around the body and have an
unexpected swing as you walk. There is a hint
of denim as well as a few select separates to
complete the looks. Each garment is an artistic
composition marked by a touch of the worker’s
hands. No two garments are exactly alike.
Since 2009, Santacruz has
increasingly stepped onto the world stage.
Recently nominated as Colombia’s official
representative to World Fashion Week 2013, the
designer will soon be in Paris for the Inaugural
Ceremony. While being an ambassador for her
country is a role she embraces with pride, she
also welcomes the opportunity to encourage
the preservation of culture and traditional skills
to a wider audience. For Adriana Santacruz,
fashion and social responsibility walk hand in
hand and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
For information on U.S. distribution
please contact Monica Macia at mmacia@
tribalelegance.com . To visit the designer’s
website go to http://www.adrianasantacruz.
com/.