Unraveling memories made yarns. Clothing that uses custom patterns made from traditional Paraguayan artisan fabrics and AR technology to reveal memories of loved ones or previous owners with the goal of boosting the use of second-hand clothing.
What
For my final project I've decided to design an applique made of traditional crafts which can be put onto garment or caps that contains data such as videos, sounds, and photos to carry the memories of each owner to the next, boosting the usage of second-hand clothing. I divided my work during this period into differnt stages:
a. Research
Paraguay
Paraguay is a subtropical country where more than 6 million people live, located in the central zone of South America, bordering Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. Territorially, the country is divided from north to south by the Paraguay River, generating a highly populated eastern zone, and a western region with great ecological wealth called Chaco.
Artistic production
Before the Spanish conquest, the Guarani developed artistic practices linked to ritual and utilitarian functions, with great relevance to the body as a support. With the colonization process, they turned to Hispanic objectives, incorporating wood carving, silverware, and weaving taught by evangelical campaigns.
During the 19th century, with the independence of the Paraguayan nation, there was no particular promotion for artistic expressions; Therefore, the techniques and objects linked to daily use, such as ceramics and fabrics, maintained their development under the wing of female domestic work. However, in the current era, with the revaluation of traditional cultures and the opening of new markets, local art is once again gaining strength, although now linked to tourist consumption and its use as a collector's item.
Source
This are the three main ideas I got at the beginning of Fabricademy 2022
Explore textile in architecture: a lightweight structure, modular and transformable, sustainable and adaptable to the social and urban context that surrounds it.
At first, I wanted to try to 3d print Ñanduti, a national craftwork of Paraguay, but after talking with my remote instructor, Angela Barbour, it's better to use technology to empower small businesses passionate about their craft by providing them with tools to make their jobs easier instead of replace the job with a plastic replica.
Ñanduti
The ñandutí, exquisite art made by the talented weavers of our community, is the hallmark of Itauguá.From its humble origins, the subtle plot of its parrots has been impregnated with the native essence. It has the socio-anthropological qualities of the Guaraní language: it is exuberant in images, a detailed description of ideas, ingenuity and beauty of expression
Etymology
There is no consensus regarding the meaning of the word ñanduti. In its Paraguayan Encyclopedia, the historian Luis Verón mentions three proposals:
Some researchers define it as "spider white tissue", due to the color of the fibers produced by these arachnids.
Others, including Josefina Plá, affirm that the old name was ñandutini, which means "spider halo", due to its concentric ray warp.
There are those who define it as ñanduty "place where there are lots of spiders".
Origin
The history of Ñandutí is the story of an acculturation, between the artisan techniques of needle and thread from Europe and the imaginative skill of mestizo women; opposed to the beautiful legends that have woven around this lace, it is important to maintain that it does not have an indigenous origin.
Each of the partialities that inhabited the current Paraguayan territory had its particular techniques in feather art, basketry, pottery and textiles. In the case of the Guaraní, who formed the basis of the miscegenation process, these produced crafts linked to ritual and utilitarian functions. The first ( body paintings, feather art and those linked to magical-religious meanings ) were eradicated by the colonizing project because they were considered incompatible with it; while the second, ( ceramics and fabrics ), reformulated, were used for the new colonial functions.
An accomplished colonial acculturation of the Guarani, whether in the "tava" ( towns ) or in the Jesuit Reductions, a new socio-economic model began to be structured, which became the generation of various types of manufactures and trades that energized the province's economy. Likewise, a clearly "Christian and popular" orientation emerged, which would influence a posteriori in both aesthetic and artisanal expressions. In this way, the Guaraní had the freedom to continue with their traditional manufacture for domestic use; however, according to Dr. Mariano Celso Pedrozo: “it could be thought then that this lace was born at that time, in the servile hands of "ayaconas ” ( sic ) for use in temples and ladies of elite"one.
Indeed, none of the chroniclers of the first centuries of colonial history mention at all the origin or development of this craft in Paraguay. This absence of documents is reflected in the inventories of the successions in the 16th and 17th centuries, they tell us nothing about the ñandutí; although they do give pathetic testimony of the pitiful poverty in which the conquerors lived, and which in itself rules out the possibility of delicacies and congregious filigree.
Already at the end of the 16th century, the conqueror and chronicler Ruiz Díaz de Guzmán2 He spoke of the skill of Paraguayan women ( both mestizo and indigenous ) in needlework, he does not mention what these were. A few years later, the first Jesuit Anuas ( 1610 ) reported that they were "hand cloths"; some domestic making towels that became popular over time. This shows that, even in the midst of hardships, the conquerors did not renounce the service of "aquamanos" even if it were in rustic utensils of indigenous hands.
For her part, Josefina Plá maintains that the ñandutí comes from a lace originating in the Canary Islands (the suns of Tenerife), which would have arrived in the region with the population expedition of Doña Mencía Calderón de Sanabria. According to him, his acclimatization and diffusion was possible thanks to the workshops of the Jesuit Reductions, where the lace for altar tablecloths were made. Now, the path that this Spanish lace traveled from the reductions to the place that would be its mecca is still enigmatic: the town of Itauguá.
The first libertarian decades of the 19th century encouraged the heyday of craft activities and the people's eagerness for self-sufficiency. Furthermore, the popular responses to Dr. France's austerity regime were given with the mobilization of artisans, in their initiative and ingenuity; for the production of useful and necessary goods, giving rise to and promotion of many crafts.
The confinement that Paraguay experienced during the Franco regime caused mestizo women, by depriving themselves for a long time of imported embroidery and lace, produce for the dressing the usage of their headwear dresses, among others, the ao po'i , the laceyú and the ñandutí. These "triple" sisters of national treasuring were born at the same time, but in different places:
The ao po'í , garment originating from Yataity, it is an embroidery on native fabric, like honeycomb.
The laceyú it is of humble invoice and mountain range origin according to tradition. It is made with the help of a guide wand.
The ñandutí it is devised and executed, like spider web, in Itauguá and other localities.
In his book "Letters from Paraguay" the brothers Jhon and William Robertson make mention of lace for the first time, when in Tapua'mí ( today Mariano Roque Alonso ) received the gift of a valuable piece of ñandutí, by Mrs. Juana de Esquivel. It was the year 1839, already at sunset the Perpetual Dictator, a time in which it can be affirmed, the acculturation of the Tenerife suns towards a craft with a clearly Creole content. Robertson then points out that it is "woven by the women of the town and famous for its beauty and high price".
It is unknown whether Ms de Esquivel was from Itauguá, but probably at that time the practice of ñandutí was rooted in homes. The town seems to have been ( no specific investigations have been carried out in this regard ) one of the places in the interior of the country where a number of patrician families owning ranches or shops. There are writers4 They affirm that even today, after the fortunes of the devastating war of 1864-1870, the women of Itauguá retain in their type traits that characterize them as of dominant Hispanic descent.
Exactly thirty years after this anecdotal event occurred, in 1869, the Ithaugueña population was forced to leave their homes in the face of the advance of the Allied invaders, particularly Brazilians. The "scorched earth" stretag of the Mcal. López gave rise to calls Residents, who accompanied the remains of the Paraguayan army in their withdrawal into the interior of the country. Crafts disintegrated, as most of the artisans succumbed to the hardships and fatigue of this march.
Oral traditions affirm that only one of all the weavers of ñandutí I manage to return to their town; but the dedication and enthusiasm put into the work of this one boxer were enough to ignite his interest and fervor on his throne.
Now, it was the extraordinary vitality of this craft that allowed it to go through almost intact, the Great War: that fire that consumed so many other traces of the Spanish-Guaraní past. The diffusion, prestige and extensive cultivation of the ñandutí from the war of the 70s and especially from 1950 to the present, is strong proof of a remarkable roots.
Characteristics
Although the ñandutí was imported from overseas, the local artisans enriched it with new variants and made it a representative and endearing element.
It is a needle socket, which is woven into racks in radial circles. Its plot is open, the base of which is formed by the characteristics Tenerife wheels, of interwoven radii ( soles ) that also appear in typical lace from other South American regions. These wheels are very similar in shape and elemental process to those woven by the spider Nephila clavipes fasciculata, that inhabits the forests and gardens of four continents. Precisely that gave rise to the Guaraní name of the lace: ñandutí or "spider tissue".
A documentary short film that reviews stories and legends of the ñandutí was presented exclusively for the press and special guests, based on the investigations of Dr. Gustavo González ( 1898-1974 ), pioneer in systematizing information and documentation on the indigenous fabric.
AR Targets:
AR objectives will be used crafts made by Paraguayan artisans. These objectives may contain many types of data such as images, videos, voice notes or anything that the people involved in the process want to share with others. Each piece will have information from the previous owners and will also have information from the artisans involved in the process and the people who amend the piece.
Refurbished comes back to you (as the service provider)
Remanufactured goes through the manufacturing process
Recycled goes back to the materials processor
Bussiness Model
Creating durable goods from recycled and reused parts as input for a circular business model.
This is a subscription model for individuals where members pay a monthly fee to access on-demand high-quality clothing with customized patterns that contain data in the cloud. It's like a personal diary that can be gifted to someone else or returned, cleaned, and redistributed to another customer – eliminating waste and capitalizing on the clothing value, all while creating convenience for customers.
Stage 1: Features
AR applique made of traditional crafts which can be put onto second-hand garment
Stage 2: App Design + Web Design
First AR APP Development:
Here are the general steps to create a VR target using Vuforia and Unity:
Install Vuforia: First, you need to install Vuforia from the Unity Asset Store. Once you have installed it, create a new Unity project.
Set up Vuforia: Open the Vuforia Configuration panel and set up your license key, choose the image target database, and set the image target dimensions.
Create an image target: In the Vuforia Configuration panel, click on "Add Target" to create a new image target. Choose the image you want to use as your target and set its size and type.
Add the target to your scene: Drag the image target from the Vuforia Configuration panel into your Unity scene. This will create a new GameObject with a Vuforia Image Target component attached.
Add the VR camera: Add a VR camera to your scene and configure it for your VR platform (e.g. Oculus, HTC Vive)
Add an audio source: Add an Audio Source component to your scene. This will allow you to play sounds in response to user interactions.
Configure the audio source: Add the sound clip you want to use to the Audio Source component. You can also set properties like volume and pitch.
Attach a script to the target: Attach a script to the image target GameObject. This script should detect when the user interacts with the target and play the sound clip in response.
Build and test: Build your VR application and test it on your VR device.
NOTE: that this is a general overview of the process, and the specific steps may vary depending on the details of your project. It is also important to follow the documentation and guidelines provided by Vuforia and your VR platform to ensure that your application works correctly.
Data: Sound
Script
/*==============================================================================
Copyright (c) 2017 PTC Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright (c) 2010-2014 Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Confidential and Proprietary - Protected under copyright and other laws.
==============================================================================*/
using UnityEngine;
using Vuforia;
using UnityEngine.Events;
///
/// A custom handler that implements the ITrackableEventHandler interface.
///
/// Changes made to this file could be overwritten when upgrading the Vuforia version.
/// When implementing custom event handler behavior, consider inheriting from this class instead.
///
public class track : MonoBehaviour, ITrackableEventHandler
{
#region PROTECTED_MEMBER_VARIABLES
public UnityEvent onTrack;
public UnityEvent onLost;
protected TrackableBehaviour mTrackableBehaviour;
protected TrackableBehaviour.Status m_PreviousStatus;
protected TrackableBehaviour.Status m_NewStatus;
#endregion // PROTECTED_MEMBER_VARIABLES
#region UNITY_MONOBEHAVIOUR_METHODS
protected virtual void Start()
{
mTrackableBehaviour = GetComponent();
if (mTrackableBehaviour)
mTrackableBehaviour.RegisterTrackableEventHandler(this);
}
protected virtual void OnDestroy()
{
if (mTrackableBehaviour)
mTrackableBehaviour.UnregisterTrackableEventHandler(this);
}
#endregion // UNITY_MONOBEHAVIOUR_METHODS
#region PUBLIC_METHODS
///
/// Implementation of the ITrackableEventHandler function called when the
/// tracking state changes.
///
public void OnTrackableStateChanged(
TrackableBehaviour.Status previousStatus,
TrackableBehaviour.Status newStatus)
{
m_PreviousStatus = previousStatus;
m_NewStatus = newStatus;
if (newStatus == TrackableBehaviour.Status.DETECTED ||
newStatus == TrackableBehaviour.Status.TRACKED ||
newStatus == TrackableBehaviour.Status.EXTENDED_TRACKED)
{
Debug.Log("Trackable " + mTrackableBehaviour.TrackableName + " found");
onTrack.Invoke();
OnTrackingFound();
}
else if (previousStatus == TrackableBehaviour.Status.TRACKED &&
newStatus == TrackableBehaviour.Status.NO_POSE)
{
Debug.Log("Trackable " + mTrackableBehaviour.TrackableName + " lost");
onLost.Invoke();
OnTrackingLost();
}
else
{
// For combo of previousStatus=UNKNOWN + newStatus=UNKNOWN|NOT_FOUND
// Vuforia is starting, but tracking has not been lost or found yet
// Call OnTrackingLost() to hide the augmentations
OnTrackingLost();
}
}
#endregion // PUBLIC_METHODS
#region PROTECTED_METHODS
protected virtual void OnTrackingFound()
{
var rendererComponents = GetComponentsInChildren(true);
var colliderComponents = GetComponentsInChildren(true);
var canvasComponents = GetComponentsInChildren
Stage 3: Design
No need to make it perfect, just make it good enough to get the idea across.
First prototype(draft)
Here is the first prototype that I made up, this piece of clothing was from my mother and she order the craft from Itagua, the local city of ñanduti.
The voice is from a History teacher that works in a Museum in Paraguay, She gave a brief resume about the craft history and how it evolved upon our days.
Rocio Achucarro is the owner of OCRE Atelier, It is a leading brand in Paraguay with more than 15 years in the market. They incorporate the handmade ñanduti in their creations, resulting in totally unique and special designs that reflect years of tradition in a perfect harmony between the traditional and the contemporary.
It is a co-creation with artisans that exports dresses to Paraguay and the world.
I contacted Rocío to learn more about her work, design process and perspectives on my project, as well as the possibility of a collaboration.
Talking with Rocio made clear many aspects that even I was not clear about, from the approach she offers to the work dynamics and design process that serves to establish a sustainable brand
Some points:
At a general level, she liked the proposal, as a businesswoman she would divide the services into two parts.
A more generalized and commercial service that provides information about the piece, highlighting the artisan who made it, the time, material and place of manufacture. The other approach would be much more personalized for gifts or brides.
She highlighted the innovativeness of using augmented reality technology, however, she expressed her concern regarding other types of technology that seek to replace craft work instead of promoting it.
She insisted that I use real handicrafts for prototypes and not printed designs, and contact Itagua artisans directly.
She proposed the possibility of collaborating together to create a prototype for brides living abroad.
