On November 30th, something special happened at ATTA: We hosted Tulum Fashion is Art, showcasing some of the world’s most beautiful fashion, art, and music on the shores of our sacred Cenote Tuuch.
The event’s 4th annual edition ran from November 30th to December 2nd, each night at a different place. Happily, the event’s wonderful opening night was held here at ATTA Restaurant within the Shibari Tulum hotel. The dress code was “White Magic,” and guests truly sparkled as they lounged on our cenote deck, sampling delicious appetizers and artisanal cocktails from our global-to-local kitchen.
Some of Tulum fashion’s brightest lights showed off their designs and art, to a backdrop of great music, all to promote sustainable living on our beautiful Mother Earth and support the local community.
Setting the tone for an amazing evening in our private jungle setting were the deep house beats of DJ Giliø Kef and Padme Music, with a performance by Indian music virtuosos Sidartha Siliceo & Ananta. The star-studded evening brought world-renowned models, artists, designers and musicians together to celebrate creativity and toast to living in harmony with nature.
Designers Impress With Sustainable Flair
Tulum Fashion is Art showcased some outstanding designers this year. But what made it even better was that this was an event with a purpose: make fashion sustainable again.
Just as we at ATTA cook with local ingredients and draw on traditional cooking methods, the event’s inspiring sustainable fashion designers used local materials and traditional techniques, like organic dyeing and indigenous weaving.
Since Fashion is the world’s third most polluting industry, Tulum Fashion is Art is making an important statement: true beauty is caring for our Earth!
Anikena by Azulik
Fashion is Art proudly welcomed Anikena by Azulik, a label founded by two Tulum sustainable fashion designers from Paraguay. Anikena uses castoff materials to create designs inspired by Tulum’s vibrant jungle palette, the sparkling azure sea, colorful underwater worlds, and the ever-present sun.
Their name comes from the Guarani words, “anikena nderesarai,” which means “don’t forget me.” It’s a fitting name because their designs are truly unique and, well, unforgettable! Old cloth roses and discarded hotel sheets get revamped into stunning new handmade creations
they call “eternal treasures.”
“Our style is Latin, spooky, retro-romantic, organic, and asymmetrical,” founders Fernando Preda y Betania Estragó once told ID Magazine.
Besides fashion, founders Betania and Fernando contribute diverse artistic talents to Tulum’s creative scene — Betania as a DJ and photographer, and Fernando as a visual artist and digital illustrator.
Pineda Covalin
The designing duo Pineda Covalin is also inspired by Mexico’s diverse indigenous cultures and rich nature, but their look is completely different–less futuristic and more down to earth.
Founded in 1996 by Cristina Pineda and Ricardo Covalin, the brand aims to return to the root, starting with the vibrant colors Mexico is so famous for.
Think of bright blue houses, the green of guacamaya wings, the orange of a Tulum sunrise, or the rainbow of a coral reef, and you’ll understand some of the inspiration for Pineda Covalin’s head-turningly bright dresses, sneakers, scarves, and purses.
“All our designs tell a story about Mexico,” they once told Eluxe magazine. “Our intention is to spread Mexico’s cultural splendor around the world.”
Le Chic Tulum, and Macuil Varela
An invited designer with a totally different style was Le Chic Tulum, a Mexican sustainable fashion brand by the designer and artist Cecilia Coppola. She handpaints fairy-like dresses using plants and flowers, for a look fit for a Greek nymph.
If old school glamour is your thing, Andrés Caballero and Alan Varela from Macuil Varela bring fashion back to hand-craftsmanship, creating sustainable luxury couture. Think of the dresses old Mexican movie stars from the gilded age used to wear and you’ll have an idea of this brand’s allure.
Invited Artists Shine
Tulum Fashion is Art also included the work of many talented, well-known artists.
Some of the participating visual artists were: Federico Kampf, a Mexican mural artist who has painted huge vivid scenes on walls around the world; and León Alva, a Cancun artist whose otherworldly paintings have graced more than 60 exhibitions worldwide.
Also appearing were the visual artist from Spain, Carol Fenty, and César Menchaca, whose workshop of Huichol artists produce a modern version of the culture’s typical beaded creations, along with Marisol Destrabeu from Cancun, whose bright, colorful paintings bring a feeling of happiness, curiosity and wonder to canvases and walls around the Riviera Maya.
Artists Giving Back
At the end of the day, the most important thing for many local artists is to give back to the community they love. Two special guests were Inlakech Music and Art School, and the Letras Itinerantes Foundation. Inlakech Music and Art School is a project founded by Israeli Tulum artists in the village area around Tulum, which has built a house made of plastic bottles where children can paint and play. They have added music as well, including learning to play donated violins. Letras Itinerantes is currently working to build two libraries for local children, and helps conserve Maya language and culture.
After the event, the Tulum Fashion is Art staff and guests will keep giving back to our planet and community, including with beach cleanups, environmental education workshops, cinema, promoting Tulum art, and fundraising. In addition, designers and painters are coming together with artisans to learn embroidery, organic dyeing and painting techniques.
ATTA is extremely proud to have been part of this event, and is excited to keep being part of the change we all need for a green, harmonious future.
Stay tuned for more wonderful events coming soon!
