Impulsed by our shared passion for colors and textures, we decided to join forces to bring you something different and unexpected: a limited-edition capsule collection that combines Mola Sasa’s iconic textiles and La Veste’s vintage-inspired shapes into unparalleled styles.
Full of spirit, the collection was designed and handmade between Colombia and Spain in collaboration with the Guna Dule community of Caimán Alto, who has brought each pattern to life using their culturally and aesthetically rich appliqué technique of hand sewing cut layers of fabric. Together we are helping to support, preserve and encourage the Guna Dule’s artisanal traditions.
ORIGIN OF THE KUNA TEXTILES“We are very excited to collaborate with La Veste because it is a vibrant and fresh brand that also loves color. Most importantly, I feel that our values are fully aligned and while both brands are very different, I feel we speak the same language. By joining forces, we have created something entirely different yet representative of each brand! We ho pe you love it as much as we do.”
-YASMIN SABET, FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR MOLA SASA.
The Kuna textiles, commonly known as “molas,” translating to “clothes” in the Guna’s native language, are originally apparel textiles that are still worn by the artisan women of the community as part of their traditional blouse, an important symbol of Guna Dule culture.
As an inspiration for their hand appliqué technique learnt in the 17th century, the Guna first reference geometrical patterns traditionally used for body painting. Throughout the past 50 years, they have also depicted realistic and abstract designs of animals, flowers, situations, and even stories.
When Guna women grow tired of a particular blouse, they disassemble it and sell the front and back panels to collectors, mainly in exchange for basic goods. That is why you can usually find the “molas” sold as a set in local fairs, it consists of the back and front panels of a blouse.. The “imperfections” found in the traditional vintage molas indicate that they are authentic and truly one of a kind. The more intricate a “mola” the higher its value will be.
We are happy to use this collaboration as an opportunity to work with these textiles and bring them back to their origins by using them in feminine blouses that allude to the way that they are worn by the Guna Dule women. As in their blouses, our collaboration uses front and back panels.
“We are very happy about this project. We want to give voice to brands that share our same values and promote artisan work. The colors and fabrics of the Guna Dule community seduced us at the moment. The work together with Yasmin, from Mola Sasa, has been extraordinary. We hope that this colorful collection will fill your wardrobe with optimism and pure energy."
-BLANCA MIRÓ AND MARÍA DE LA ORDEN, FOUNDERS LA VESTE.
