Peruvian fashion designer Naty Muñoz  is a modern ” Andean Bohemian”.  She is a brilliant designer, for Vogue and beyond, and also an ethical designer working with organic fibers, much of which is alpaca, wool, and cotton. I love her work in this ensemble of colorful, embroidery & splashes of knitted bobbles, set against a breathy feathery downy white, quite frankly tickles a spot for me.

(image source)

As I observe the traditional colors and textiles  of Peru , I am deeply moved by the mountainous landscape of the Andes being an intrinsic part of it all.  Though admittedly, my first observation I felt an awkward reaction to the bright colors, particularly of pinks & yellow-green, the explosions of fluffy pompoms, and seeming oddness of white laced through all of that color.  Fuzzy  and ultra feminine, but really I think this is just characteristic of Peruvian textiles … the ‘white thing’ … in relation to brazen color for me is so captivating.

But now I think I am ‘getting’ it!  To me the white is altitude, snowy, ethereal, woolly & alpaca-ish, pure, cloud-like, and spiritual, the white is beneath, above, and supporting the colors of the folk textiles & clothing.

So I am smitten,  as Naty Muñoz’s designs show so well,  by the magnificent Peruvian landscape, its traditional clothing of bright colors, the presence of cuddly alpacas, and find that all of it dazzles because of striking elemental snowy white!

Quechua woman weaving a traditional textile, Cuzco, Peru, South America

Quite involved in lessons of color & texture for forthcoming knitwear pattern, as you can easily guess, and in metamorphosis  spurred by discovery of Peruvian colors, textures and even discovery of modern designers like Naty… muchas gracias por su inspiración!