Manto: Traditional weavings made modern, loom woven tire-bags

Socially aware weavings Manto Argentina Photo
Photos: Courtesy of Manto.

Designer Diana Dai Chee Chaug and artist Clara de la Torre knew the weavers from northern Argentina in a trip to Salta and Jujuy in 2002 and fell in love with their culture. With a passion for aesthetics and the need to bond with that native tradition, they created Manto: a fashion label that brings traditional weaving back to life through modern patterns and designs.

For each collection, they determine the look and feel of the fabrics they are going to need and send the indications to weavers, who work from their homes and send the materials back. "We are creating a fertile social, cultural, artistic and commercial link between the weavers of the Andean culture and city dwellers all over the world. We contribute to the knowledge and spreading of unknown work methods and lifestyles, paying respect to their cycles and their connection with nature. And we design products that represent this feeling," the designers say in an interview with Luxe-Essentiel.

Many more looks and pictures in the extended.

Apart from the revaluation of native traditions, Manto has also incorporated recycled materials. Through their Rubber collection, they introduced bags and purses that mix recovered tires rubber and weavings.

We've seen products with repurposed tires before (Mecha in Mexico, Modulab in Chile and Neumatica in Argentina, to name a few), but some of Manto's bags use the rubber woven on a loom and mix it with native fabrics, which gives them a colorful look.

Manto sells in a group of shops in Argentina, Miami and New York. Names and addresses for them can be found in the 'Shop' section of their website. Links below the pics.

Socially aware weavings Manto Argentina Photo