Caleidoscopica Lima Colonial (In the making)

I have always liked things that have a soul to them, that have a little story behind them. Therefore, here a little story for you.

You know how much I like doing photography and painting (and beauty/art in general) but various years ago I started feeling like there was something missing and that I needed to evolve onto something that has always attracted my attention: design, fashion design (nothing new really, my sister and I owned a boutique when I was 19 years old). So, in 2008 _ based on my photography printed onto fabric_ I started designing clothing and accessories for women, I wanted to contribute to this field with a touch that would show my vision, my colours, my joy.

It has taken me various years of research to reach the stage where I can say that I see a collection at the end of the tunnel… When I say that I did my research, I do not mean _by any means_ that I am “inventing” the wheel, there are millions of people who do the same: make clothes, design based on photography, etc., but there is one thing I know… I keep re-inventing / re-discovering myself and I can say that each time I get more passionate about the things I do.

I like change and I like challenges. And although leaving your comfort zone is uhm… uncomfortable, I also find it thrilling and rewarding. After all, living in your comfortable zone for long can get really uncomfortable as in terms of boredom.

And here comes the second part of this story…

Last year, on a very cold and dump night (just adding a little drama), I run into a poster about a contest (Flashmode, sponsored by the Alliance Francaise) which deadline was six days later… I instantly decided to participate (intuition? I very rarely participate of contests, I can count the ones I have been part of with my two hands and I have fingers left). So I put my brain and hands to work and created a couple of pieces starting by running around Lima (supported by my wonderful husband) taking pictures, intervening them, printing them and making a dress and a couple of accessories. The result, I was selected as one of the eight finalists.

The collection chosen (just one of the many collections I have in my head) is one I conceived back in 2008-2009 based on the concept of Lima Colonial architecture, its most important and beautiful asset for a city known as far from attractive by foreigners who have not visited yet. This is an important concept to me, because after living in various cities around the world, I happened to stay in Lima for longer than expected. It was not my intention to live here and I have to confess that I was not thrilled by the idea, but because I also took it as a challenge to make the most of it, to find its beauty, I decided that I was going to outstand the best of this city and not let myself overwhelm by its not so charming features. I achieved it.

The result of this process brought “Caleidoscópica Lima Colonial”, an allegory to the diversity that this city represents. Colonial Lima is a mixture of concepts, styles, people, backgrounds, colours, textures, baroque architecture with a Peruvian touch, many things… and in this mixture there is beauty. I get inspired by the landscape that we live everyday, by those buildings that we live by, but that have been forgotten, by the people who live in the streets and who call this home, by the stories behind its doors, by its past that draws its present.

Lima has been declared as a city which incites individualism (like any cosmopolitan capital does), as kind of agressive and not beautiful… Maybe the eyes (the senses) need a little bit of reconciliation here, and that is my aim. These times for humanity are bit tough. We have these very large cities which have suffered/evolved/changed throughout time and history and its buildings remain to tell their story. I would like to tell this story through clothing and share a contemporary/modern vision of its past, reenact it, relive it, re-invent it and bring you along with me in the adventure.

To end this little story (for now), I want to share that part of the Flashmode contest is for our moodboards/ proposals to be “liked” on facebook, I must say, I am not a popular person or a person who has many “friends” on facebook, quite the opposite really, so this is a new arena for me. The intention _again_ is to have fun in the process and see what the wind brings. In the meantime, I see there is no better joy for me than to have the chance to create a whole embodiment of pieces from scratch. Seeing your creations come to life is fascinating, to say the least. It feels as if I was in the dark room again, only this time my blank canvas become pieces in 3D and go onto people’s bodies.

If you want to support my Caleidoscopica Lima Colonial, you can see the link here:https://www.facebook.com/flashmodeperu/photos/a.566425756786446.1073741826.310820285680329/566426536786368/?type=1&theater, (or click on the moodboard) “like” it if you like it and share it if you feel like sharing it.

Share the inspiration!

Ps. The photos on this post are instagram pictures and are merely intended to portray an idea of what the collection will be about. If you want to follow us on instagram, please we are Nefelibata_visual_art_boutique.