IG: @tavbrody_designs
tavbrodydesigns.com

Ixchel Rising

Ixchel Rising embodies my experience as a Guatemalan Indigenous two-spirit designer living in diaspora in contemporary America. My work reflects my ancestry and uses traditional methods in a modern way to bond with my heritage. I challenge expected stereotypes, values, and attitudes in fashion by carefully selecting materials, using traditional patterns, and contemporizing craft traditions.

Textiles are carriers of cultural information. Practicing Indigenous crafts and producing traditional textiles is a form of cultural preservation and a way to process and resist assimilation. In this collection, I used traditional Guatemalan garments, the huipil and corte, as inspirations for my designs and silhouettes. The colorful striping is based on woven cloth patterns in Guatemala, typically done by backstrap weaving. I handwove the cloth as a visual representation of my Indigenous culture.

This collection presents traditional practices within a contemporary context and allows me to participate in Indigenous traditions, resistance, and resilience. The inclusion of spiked hardware in the handwoven cloth acts as a tangible form of protection from those who threaten Indigenous identity. In opposition to government policies and ICE raids in America, it feels more urgent and imperative than ever to create work that preserves, highlights, and amplifies culture.

Bio

Tav Brody is a two-spirit artist and designer working in fashion and textiles. Their work challenges and explores societal expectations and boundaries through concepts and techniques tied to their Indigenous Guatemala heritage. Their work merges traditional craft techniques with modern silhouettes in garment form.