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The Iara dress was inspired by the Brazilian folklore of a young warrior of
Tupi-Guarani descendant.
Her tale teaches of strength and womanhood. After being betrayed by her brothers and father, her lifeless body was thrown in a river where the spirits of the nature and the moon, Jaci, had mercy over her, saving her soul and body by transforming her into a mermaid.
She became the guardian of the waters,
promised revenge on those who
betrayed her,
enchanting every corrupted man
that dares to navigate in the
rivers of the Amazon
with her voice,
and to the nature and Moon,
she swore loyalty,
fighting for the clear waters and
sustainability.
The dress consists of three layers cut on bias, each hand dyed separately, creating a color assemble that mimics the Tucunare fish, one of the strongest species native to her region.
The outer layer is one complete piece of fabric that drapes around and meets on the back, with hand-sawn pleats that resemble ribs.
All layers are connected by the side panels on the hips with a peg detail on the outside, that like the cowl cap sleeves, is finalized with a white bias tape.
The high neck symbolizes her powerful voice, and the silhouette with the elongated train resembles the well-known mermaid style, the hem finalized with a nylon fishing line adds a movement that visually mimics waterfalls.
The back of the dress is partially open, with pleated panels that shape the negative space into a tear or spear shape.
The dress closes with an invisible zipper on the back and three mismatching buttons.
They say if you visit the waters, you can still hear her chant, and the screams...
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