Cadena, who will soon appear in the Marvel movie Black Panther, shared the problem of discrimination in the film industry. “When you realize it’s an issue for Latinos around the world, you start growing your community to fight for the place we want to take outside of our country.”
In search of greater inclusion in the fashion industry, Carbajal – model and writer – has worked to open spaces in the modeling industry. “Every day, I’m grateful to be Mexican, Latina, and to be able to represent women for so many years [were made to] think there was no place for us.”
All four panelists shared how they seek to inspire with their work. “I want to be seen as more than a role model, I want people to be interested in hearing my voice,” said Mar, whose work focuses on social and environmental justice. Cadena assured us that, “that every one of us women in this room can find representation.”
Talk 6: The intersection of design and fashion
In recent decades, Mexico and Latin America have experienced a design boom. With that in mind, Karla Martinez de Salas spoke with Rodman Primack and Rudy F. Weissenberg – founders of Ago Projects – and Ana Holschneider and Ariadna García – founders of Caralarga – about the growth of Latino design in the world.
Primack said that “Finally, Mexicans feel that the rest of the world is appreciating what is being done here. Many designers are taking inspiration from Mexico.” After several decades in which creative industries in Latin America were inspired by European standards, “the canon of art is changing. In Latin America, we have a lot of influences that are wonderful; for example, Mayan architecture,” Weissenberg said.
The founders of Caralarga – a textile design and production workshop – joined the conversation to share how their project has evolved. “We come from a generation hungry for culture and roots. In Mexico, people are starting to value things like craftsmanship, which wasn’t so common decades ago. We are now reviewing what we have here in terms of raw materials and workmanship,” they said.
Conversation 7: Breaking stereotypes
Katya Echazarreta is a true force for change. The 27-year-old electrical engineer, who a few months ago became the first woman of Mexican origin to travel in space, shared a message of perseverance and hard work. Echazarreta has worked to create her own path. “Going into space was something very special. It sounds nice, but the reality is that it wasn’t easy to get there,” she said.
