Carla Fernández has returned to a traditional catwalk format after a brief absence from Mexico Fashion Week – not that it put a pause on her creativity. Her work is currently on display at La Galerie du19M, Chanel’s Metiers d’Art Center in Paris.
She named her collection for spring Teokintel– the name given to the ancestor of corn – and recognized the importance of corn and insects in the gastronomy of Mexican culture. The pieces, in collaboration with artisans, seek to be part of a current and relevant conversation around the protection of native crops rather than the consumption of genetically modified corn. “We have a lot to learn from the slow food movement,” she said. “Fashion should be done that way too.”
Silhouettes went to another level with prints created by multidisciplinary artist Andros Hernández, who illustrated a universe of planets in the form of tlayudas, totoposAnd tortillas, three Mexican dishes made from corn. Grasshoppers, commonly eaten in Mexico, also came into play. “It’s about getting back to the original,” Fernández added. She pushed this idea with roomy sleeves, modeled after baskets. “You can even go to the market and use them.”
