The Story of Legado: A Link Between Cultures and Traditions

We have the honor of living in Milan, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe where the world of fashion, design and furniture coexist. These three areas blend together and create a distinct style that is different from what any other capital on the continent could offer. Milan is unique and avant-garde and that is why it is constantly looking for something new, something different, something that surprises it and reconfirms the place it has earned with great effort when Paris or London had already positioned themselves as greats. It took only a few decades for Milan to become what it is today: the capital of design in all its aspects.

Legado, a Latin American project with Italian origins, has understood that need for innovation and that great possibility of combining the new, the linear, the clean and the minimalist of current design, with the tradition, color and joy of our indigenous cultures, full of tradition, "magical realism" and charm. In addition to satisfying the need and search for novelty of the Milanese, in Legado we are convinced that the world would be a better place if people could live off what they are capable of doing with their own hands. We deeply believe in the importance of going back to the origins and how much unique and unrepeatable craftsmanship should be appreciated, a culture that is still preserved in Latin America and that unfortunately is disappearing in the old continent. Legado means history, heritage, past, present and future; but it also means bond, knot, connection. All of this is reflected in the weaving of our ancestral indigenous peoples, who despite colonization and the loss of so many original traditions of their culture, have managed to keep this wealth in the hands of their women and girls, and that gives them an even more powerful value. The indigenous peoples of our Latin American peoples have not only had to ensure that their textiles and designs transcend the European invasion; but also, in many cases, it is women who have made this cultural legacy survive today. In the most recent book by Chilean writer Isabel Allende, “Mujeres del alma mía,” the author emphasizes: “One of the most effective ways to have a positive impact on the world is to invest in women. In the regions most in need, mothers use their income in the family, while men only allocate a third of it… If women have decision-making power and their own income, their family’s situation improves; if families prosper, the community progresses and by extension the country.” This is not a feminist discourse, it is facts. In our visit to the indigenous communities of La Guajira and San Jacinto, Bolívar; both in Colombia, we discovered that it is the women who have passed on the legacy of weaving in their regions and are responsible for organizing themselves into groups and associations to help each other, teach and train the little ones and give their children a chance at the future. Without a doubt, many will have great men to support them, but this millenary profession has been passed down thanks to them, and Legado is proud to buy Wayuu “chinchorros” (hammocks) and “mochilas” (bags) and hammocks from San Jacinto directly from these women weavers. It is just the beginning. This was a first expedition and a reconnaissance trip, because after living 9 years in Colombia, we feel a deep gratitude and want to give back a little of what that country has given us. Legado will aim for more and bring fabric from all Latin American countries to Europe. To make a chinchorro or a hammock, up to three artisans are sometimes needed and it takes three months to complete a piece. The Wayuu chinchorro from La Guajira is assembled on a vertical loom and the knots are formed one by one until the body or base is complete. The headboards (pieces that allow it to be hung) are braided; and what they call trimmings or fringes are also made separately and are usually worked by hand with crochet (crochet technique). The colors can be infinite, since they use cotton yarn or cotton combined with synthetic fibers that allow them to go through wonderful chromatic ranges of a quality that surpasses time and use. As for the designs (kanasü), they can use pre-Columbian figures or scenes, moments of their daily life and nature: the ranchería (rural life), grazing, fishing, small orchards and weaving that are usually represented in the trimmings. The quality of these products is absolute and it is possible to have a chinchorro for a lifetime as long as you keep in mind that the sun and rain can be inclement. If they are kept outside, it is advisable, after the summer season, to wash them by hand or dry clean and to always keep them clean. If they are kept in an interior space, maintenance would be the same as any other piece of furniture in the house. The region of La Guajira is shared between Colombia and Venezuela and belongs to the Wayuu indigenous people. They do not feel Colombian or Venezuelan; and in fact in many cases they have both nationalities, since for centuries the borders between the two nations have merged and diluted, being more than two countries, a large community. The Wayuu have their own language, Wayuunaiki, and for them all of us who are not indigenous are “arijuna”, foreigners who usually do not respect the rules and who should be wary of. With time and disappointments, the “arijuna” have become part of their environment and cannot help but be amazed by these artistic expressions in a land full of contrasts and difficulties. Originally weaving was a complementary task for the Wayuu community, however, the peninsula of La Guajira, a region of extreme drought where there is no drinking water, electricity and all basic needs demand to be satisfied; this ancestral art flourishes as a main activity and has become the only possibility of economic, social and cultural continuity. The Wayuu have their traditions and rules and also their laws when it comes to enforcing them. Many have warned us about them, but Legado in our expedition has only met wonderful and noble people, eager to work and take their community forward. As for the hammocks of San Jacinto, Bolívar, the process is faster since it is assembled on a vertical loom but the construction of the base is done with a piece of wood that presses the threads until they become a fabric. It takes about two weeks to make the central piece and the headboards (pieces that allow you to hang it) are woven by hand; and the fringes can be made with needles (crochet technique) or, they are made by hand with knots (macramé technique). The colors can be infinite, since they use cotton yarns or cotton combined with synthetic fibers that allow them to go through ranges of wonderful colors of a quality that does not expire over time and use. These hammocks, originally dating back to the Senú Indians, were ecru with black elements that simulated the traditional Colombian “volteao” hat. Over time, but without abandoning the traditional designs, an infinite number of colors have been incorporated and the San Jacinto hammock goes through the stripes, checks and shaded fabrics, giving the world an unparalleled liveliness. The quality of these products is absolute and it is possible to have a hammock for a lifetime as long as you keep in mind that the sun and rain can be inclement. If they are kept outside, it is advisable, after the summer season, to wash them by hand or dry clean and to always keep them clean. If they remain in an interior space, the maintenance would be the same as any other piece of furniture in the house. San Jacinto is a small town known almost exclusively for its hammocks, however, 20 years ago it was also known for the armed conflict between guerrillas and paramilitaries in Colombia. Most of its inhabitants, including the weavers, had to move from their homes for fear of being killed in a senseless fratricidal war in which simply speaking to one made you the object of reprisals from the other. Fortunately, this is a bad memory, and many have been able to return to their homes not without mourning some loss in their families. The women have organized themselves into associations, they support each other and work together and they know that the only thing they can count on is the wonderful ability they have in their hands to transform simple threads into works of art. Legado went to San Jacinto, in the department of Bolívar, and we were cared for like a family, welcoming us into their homes with open arms. In a less artisanal but equally beautiful process, we also discovered a workshop in the city of Bogotá, where hammocks are made more quickly on mechanical looms and the details of the headboards and fringes or trims are completed by hand in macramé or crochet. Chinchorros and hammocks are associated with summer, the beach, the mountain home, rest and outdoor space. Undoubtedly, this is very true; but Legado wants to share with Milan and Europe the daily use that in our Latin American countries we give to these pieces, incorporating them as decorative elements in our homes, for use, not only daily, such as rest, reading or meditation; but also, we are convinced that the combination of these luxury pieces, handmade and with designation of origin, adapt perfectly to the elements of current modern design, building unique, ethnic and creative spaces that will feed the curiosity and desire for innovation in Milan.

Ada Valeria Lo Curto and Giancarlo Votta for www.legado.it