It is no surprise that Uruguayan designers, Mercedes Arocena and Lucia Benitez were recently awarded the “Dinamic Eco Chic Award” for their ‘Dominga’ collection at the prestigious International design contest Mittelmoda in Milan, Italy.
The designers’ express, “Dominga comes as a result of an experimental investigation process that begins with the wool, a natural sustainable and warm fiber that is part of our history and culture”. Drawing inspiration from the Uruguayan rural backdrop, the collection reincarnates the traditional ‘Gaucho’ into iconic garments such as the ‘poncho’, the ‘ruana’ or the chiripa’.
The collection is not only a showcase of versatility and sophistication but demonstrates the value gained from re-visiting time-honoured hand-crafted techniques such as ‘guasqueria’. It is this considered use of texture, dynamic shapes and raw material combined with maintaining a sense of cultural integrity that makes this collection a winner.
Photograpy | Santiago Epstein / Domino
