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Remedios

“Certain things catch your eyes,
but pursue only those that capture your heart.”

Rosa

“My heart is tuned
to the quietness
that the stillness of nature
inspires.”

Rita

Walking and listening to a deeper way,
suddenly all my ancestors are behind me.
“Be still” they say.
“Watch and listen.
You are the result of love of thousand.”

Ramona

“Listen to the wind, it talks.
Listen to the silence, it speaks.
Listen to your heart, it knows.”

Remedios

the meaning of colors —

The use of rich red fabric in the weave also signifies courage and sensuality, belonging to a people who give their all for what they believe in.

colours palette —

Remedios’ colour palette references the deep red of the earth after the rain.

Colour palette —

… and the deep azure blue of the night sky as the sun sets each night.

handmade —

Each pair of Remedios is the result of 20 hours of indigenous Paraguayan weaving and braiding art.

Remedios’ recipe —

The steps to create these shoes include 2000 turns of the braid, 1000 throws of the bundle and 200 presses of the fabric using time honored hand-weaving techniques passed down through generations of Maka Indians.

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Rosa

inspirations —

Rosa is inspired of the colors of water, sky and the dew.

inspirations —

The waters of the mighty river Paraguay that bring life to the lands of the Maka Indians hold deep significance in their culture.

the meaning of colors —

Maka women traditionally wear clothes of intense azure blue. For them, this colour represents peace and harmony with the world around them.

style —

Crafted using two coiled braids that both support and beautifully embellish the ankle.

handmade —

Each pair of Rosa is the result of 14 hours of indigenous Paraguayan weaving and braiding art.

Rosa’s recipe —

The steps to create these shoes include 600 turns of the braid, 500 throws of the bundle and 100 presses of the fabric using time honored hand-weaving techniques passed down through generations of Maka Indians.

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Rita

colour palette —

Rita’s colour palette represents the deep black of the night sky and the luminous white of the stars that shine brightly above the Guarani territory.

the meaning of colors —

The tones of darkness and light reference those that accompany your path of light and shadow and in turn reflect parts of your life, parts of your history.

handmade —

Each pair of Rita is the result of 12 hours of indigenous Paraguayan weaving and braiding art.

inspiration —

The designer Mariela Montiel is constantly inspired by art, in all its forms.

Rita’s recipe —

The steps to create these shoes include 400 turns of the braid, 500 throws of the bundle and 70 presses of the fabric using time honored hand-weaving techniques passed down through generations of Maka Indians.

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Ramona

the color of the sun —

Expertly crafted in the luminous colors of sunrise and sunset, Ramona’s rich and vibrant tones will brighten your feet throughout the whole day.

inspirations —

The Maka Indians draw inspiration from their natural surroundings when selecting the colors used for their traditional hand-woven materials.

handmade —

Each pair of Ramona is the result of 16 hours of indigenous Paraguayan weaving and braiding art.

Ramona’s recipe —

The steps to create these shoes include 1600 turns of the braid, 1000 throws of the bundle and 150 presses of the fabric using time honored hand-weaving techniques passed down through generations of Maka Indians.

colors —

Ramona reflects the intense red of earth and fire alongside the pulsating yellow of the sun that burns bright each day in the sky above.

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The concept

letter from the designer —

I needed to go back to my roots because my father was very sick and I wanted to keep him alive. In Paraguay we are all “mestizos” and my father is no different, a wild mix of European and Indigenous. In search of my ancestors, I met the Maka. This noble community fascinated me.

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I fell in love with the fabrics, the colors and their genuine and generous character. Seeing how much they struggle to earn and provide for their families, we created Antolina: a project to support these Indigenous communities and in turn to help me to preserve an important part of my personal history.

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Antolina was my paternal grandmother’s first name and her personality and tenderness suffused my childhood. Antolina is a name that both evokes my origins and also gives an even deeper meaning to this project.

the atelier —

A small atelier was established thanks to the support of Giuseppe Baiardo who fell in love with the project too. At this atelier, older women from the tribe started to weave the collection using traditional methods, soon younger Indian women started to show an interest in learning this time-honored skill. This made me extremely happy.

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I really hope you enjoy Antolina shoes as much as we enjoyed making them.
Mariela Montiel

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