Inspired by Chiquitania, Bolivia

During my mandate with Mistura (Camebol) as a Fashion Design Officer, one of my tasks was to do anthropological research on two regions of Bolivia for inspiration to design a line of purses and accessories. One of the regions was Chiquitania.  Chiquitania is a region situated in the east of Bolivia and has warm weather the entire year. They have beautiful greenery all year-round and majestic waterfalls. Most importantly, Chiquitania is home to various ethnic groups which many of them have great historical importance. While we learned many interesting facts and stories about Chiquitania, the one that inspired us the most for our design of the line of purses and accesories were the architectural and history of the Jesuit Mission Church. The churches are a combination of catholic architecture and local traditions. There are still six missions that exist today and they are San Francisco Javier, Concepción, Santa Ana, San Miguel, San Rafael and San José. The silhouette of the column and intricate architectural detail on the wall, altar and ceiling has given the partner organization inspiration for one of the purses they will be creating. I was able to see the design and fabric manipulation process with the inspiration of the Jesuit Mission Church. I am excited to see the final results in two months.