Textile traditions and fashion education in Mexico

Mexico has a rich textile tradition that still has an impact on today’s art and design world. However, it can be challenging for young fashion design students to incorporate these traditions to their contemporary work without the risk of creating folkloric garments. For indigenous communities in the south of the country textiles are an important source of income and at the same time a way to keep connected with their pre-Hispanic past. In order to learn more about the weaving techniques of Zapotec textiles and reflect on design innovation, a workshop was organised in Universidad de Monterrey. An artisan from the Oaxaca region taught a small number of students and academics how to use frame looms creating traditional patterns. After the workshop students had the opportunity to create their own designs based on the techniques they had learned. All of them felt very positive about the experience and stated that they would be interested to pursue further the application of textile traditions in their work