ALMA
SS'22 Collection
A collaboration with Shipibo Artisan, Jovita Maynas.
Jovita Maynas is a dear friend I had the pleasure of meeting during my first trip to Pucallpa in 2018. She is a strong, passionate, and loving mother. As well as a talented artisan in the Shipibo Community. Her specialties include Natural Dyeing, Textile Painting, Embroidery, Beading, and ceramics.
During one of my visits to Pucallpa, Jovita took me to a river to collect a special mud that is traditionally used to draw on textiles. Before collecting it she said grace, asked for permission, and promised only to take what was necessary. Her humility, respect for nature, and grace are what inspired this collection.
When using natural dyes, each plant has a voice of its own. Some are delicate, others are temperamental, and some are always a surprise. It's magic seeing them speak through the threads and you learn to love them for who they are.
Most importantly, Alma, which means ‘soul’ in Spanish is a collection dedicated to some of the most influential women in my life. The plants I worked with have uniquely divine characteristics that reminded me of them and I wanted to create clothing that represented their essence.
168 hand-dyed fabric samples (no heavy metals) • 120 hand-dyed yarn samples (no heavy metals) • A set of 11 Natural Inks
& 11 looks hand-dyed in Peru and manufactured by Caroline Adamy in NYC.
Design: Caroline Adamy
Textiles: Jovita Maynas, Flor, Sajami, and Caroline Adamy
Model: Jiwon Ra | @jiwonchristinera
Photography: Gabriel Barreto Bentín | @gabrielbarretobentin
Designer & Author: Caroline Adamy
Textile Collaboration: Jovita Maynas & Flor, Sajami
Model: Caroline Adamy
Photography: Jessica Paige
TIGRILO SWIM
Founded January 2021 - A collaboration with Shipibo Artisan, Jovita Maynas.
Shipibo Designs - Xao Kene / Diseño Antiguo
Materials
Recycled Polyester made from PET Bottles.
Econyl Regenerated Nylon
TIGRILO SWIM was born from love but also from a place of struggle. I started working with Jovita Maynas, a Native Amazon Artisan from the Shipibo Community in 2018. We had been learning from each other and collaborating on multiple projects, but when covid-19 spread to every corner of the globe, the financial situation of artisans around Peru was greatly affected by the lack of tourism. Not to mention the lack of access to healthcare and emergency services. Though the situation wasn't shocking, the severity of the situation encouraged us to think of immediate and long-term solutions to support her family through her craft.
My sister Emily Adamy, Jovita Maynas, and I had to find a balanced alternative that intertwined ancient craftsmanship and technology. I have been designing swimsuits since 2014 and noticed there weren’t swimwear brands in Peru that were environmentally conscious or celebrated our Peruvian heritage at the time. After extensive market and supply-chain research, we decided that creating Tigrilo Swim would be a perfect opportunity for Jovita to showcase her talent in places far beyond the Amazon Rainforest, earn a steady income, and contribute to reducing plastic waste by turning PET bottles into fabric. Not to mention creating awareness and celebrating Peru's cultural diversity. It was also a business model that has the potential to grow and extend a hand to more artisans around Peru.
Textile Design
Print Designs made by hand and through digital rendering by Caroline Adamy in collaboration with Jovita Maynas.
VERANO 2024
Brand: TIGRILO SWIM | Designer: Caroline Adamy
Art Direction: Lisseli Santos | Photography: Alexander Diary | Models: Carol Aranda & Alex Arana | MUA: Micaela Linares | Video: Tutydotcom (Claudia Tizón)
VERANO 2023
Branding and Production Management by Caroline Adamy
INCALPACA
Arequipa, Peru
March 2023 - September 2023
Woven's Department - Under Creative Direction of Micaela Ameri
Outerwear Design
Accessory Design
DREAM CODE
August - December 2019
How can I bring designers, artisans, and customers together to collaborate and create unique products?
In my eyes, fashion has always been a form of self-expression. It is meant to be personal and tell a story. When I was growing up, Peruvian folklore played an important role in my understanding of the country. I was proud of my roots when I danced on stage, though there weren’t many fashion alternatives that I could relate to on a day-to-day basis.
The Dream Code Project is a way to visualize the wearer’s dreams through symbols. It is a system that allows customers to have a say in how their clothes look and are produced. Because dreams are personal, the code had to be designed in a balanced manner. The symbols had to be logical and applicable to multiple scenarios, but they also had to have some level of ambiguity to guarantee privacy. The flow chart below walks through the design process.
Dream-Code System
Dream-Code Dictionary
Examples of Dream-Code Transcripts and Illustrations
Many friends contributed to the creation of this code by sharing their dreams. I made personalized illustrations for each one and extrapolated some of the shapes and meanings to create the symbols. On the right-hand side, you'll see the dream transcripts that I generated.
Dream-Code Process + Presentation Images
Collaboration with Tomas Vega
Tomas, an MIT Media Lab graduate, is a Peruvian Coder and innovator. When I told him about my experiences in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest and the dreams I had been having, Tomas wanted to be a part of the project, as he also had his fair share of interesting Amazonian experiences. He did a brilliant job helping me code the Carunama (The Dream Code) so that people could narrate their dreams and in exchange get a transcript. During my open studio at Parsons School of Design, visitors and critics were able to speak into the microphone and get their custom transcript. They were also able to appreciate the project through sound, which takes me to my next collaboration...
Collaboration with Moncho Berry
October - December 2019
A love for Peruvian stories and sounds brought Moncho and me together to collaborate on this project. We began exchanging ideas after I visited Boston for the first time and realized that we were both constantly trying to fuse Peruvian culture with our experiences abroad. As a result, Moncho created this single, which speaks about navigating what it means to be Peruvian in today's modern society.
Sketchbook
INTI YAKU
Meaning, Sun & Water in Quechua (Traditional language from the Andes)
August - December 2019
Although this project didn't come to life in 3D form, it helped me find my personal style as a designer. The skills highlighted are concept ideation, illustration, and textile design. At the time I was also taking a patternmaking class and decided to take some stylistic elements from the Inti Yaqu collection to create a pair of pants and a jacket.
Print Design
Interactive Designs (Coloring Book & Puzzles)
SPECIAL OLYMPICS COLLABORATION
Athleticwear
January - May 2020
DIGITAL SPINE
Collaborative project with Soobin Hong
Fall 2018
2100. The human body has evolved in unrecognizable ways. Our spine is hunched, and neck protrudes forward, our muscles are weakened, and our eyesight is dim. Over time we have become dependent on technology, causing the human figure to adapt and evolve. Along with these drastic changes, we see that fashion begins to adjust to our new silhouette. The common ensemble of clothing includes oversized tops that haze the shape of the body, strapped bottoms that support stance, and hefty shoes that help balance the slanted torso. However, the desire This collection, built entirely from the analysis and manipulation of e-waste, introduces the digital metamorphosis, which is dominated by a new generation of hunchbacked humans.
2016 Lima, Peru
< Scroll to see the creative process >
IB ART DIPLOMA EXHIBITION
Exploring Peru's Cultural Diversity
January 2016 - September 2016
International Baccalaureate - Newton College, Lima Peru.
High-Level Art: Grade 7/7
Models: Alessia Giha, Caroline Adamy, Valerie Woodman, Carolina Flores Araoz, & Luciana García