Cruella de Vil a la Mexicana: Chiapas artisans are inspired by Villana

Cruella de Vil managed to steal the hearts of millions of people around the world, including a group of Mexican artisans who took inspiration from the eccentric Disney villain to give her a representative touch of Mexican culture.

Thanks to NGO Impact, a Civil Organization committed to the sustainable development of native peoples, The Walt Disney Company was able to work with women artisans from Los Altos de Chiapas, such as Bashantic (San Andrés Larráinzar), Aldama, Zinacantán and Tenejapa, to create an incredible collection of 18 unique pieces where each of the collaborators left their distinctive stamp.

The collection is defined by three complete looks of which the base is a poncho that was made by women from the Bashantic community in San Andrés Larráinzar, on a backstrap loom and then the accessories that accompany this design were generated.

With techniques such as backstrap loom weaving, raised embroidery and brocade, the artisans were able to capture their creativity in ponchos, gloves, masks and handbags, demonstrating that Mexican designs are of a high standard.

Bonifaz added that this is an example of how large corporations like Disney "if they can find ethical paths of collaboration and rapprochement with the communities from an awareness", ensuring that it was a horizontal work where the NGO served as a bridge to link the company with artisan women.

Bags: Doña Antonia's masterpiece

Among the accessories, the bags stand out, which were made by Doña Antonia Sántiz López, an artisan from the Las Manzanas community, municipality of Tenejapa, as well as by two women from the same community, using a waist loom with raised embroidery. Another piece that attracts attention is the masks, one of the iconic accessories from the Cruella movie.

Doña Antonia assured that it was a process full of challenges for them because it is something innovative, so to start doing it they were inspired by Cruella's iconic hair, with its black and white tone, managing to capture it in the design of the bag.

The artisan assured that in the film she represents a woman who expresses herself freely and has great skills, something with which both she and her colleagues saw themselves reflected, because they are also designers and a large part of what they captured was the idea of ​​the three artisans who they worked on it.

Mexico shares its culture with Cruella

Andrea Bonifaz asserted that this is obviously a window of visibility in the international focus for the work of communities and popular art, demonstrating that it is on a par with any Western design.

For his part, Andrés Guarnizo Sr. Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, of The Walt Disney Company Mexico, added that for Disney "it is very important to make visible stories that are diverse and inclusive", which represent the audience and this is part of that effort.

Guarnizo told Merca2.0 that Disney will launch the results in the coming weeks, as well as an audiovisual capsule where the process with Chiapas women of creating the pieces will be documented to share it with the world virtually. .

Currently there are no plans to exhibit the designs physically, however, it is not ruled out that at some point it can become a reality.

Although for now there are no more collaboration plans for the company with the group of Mexican artisans or the NGO, Disney assured that it will continue in the search to share stories that inspire.

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