Inspiration behind the collection | PS25 SPONDYLUS
Peru, its history, cultural wealth and even natural spaces have been since ESCVDO’s beginning key inspiration for each collection. SPONDYLUS PS25 is no exception, as its shapes and colors explore the enigmatic natural resource that became a symbol of the gods for South America’s greatest empire, the Incas.
Spondylus, known as thorny oysters, are actually molluscs that can be found along the north Pacific coast of South America. There is evidence of its importance for the locals since 3,000 b.C., but it was under the Moches, a Peruvian culture from 600 a.C., that Spondylus became an object of religious value, as well as a sign of status when worn as adornment.
By the time of the Incas, Spondylus was a sacred and an adornment necessity, one of the main goods transported by the famous Inca roads. For SS25, ESCVDO takes on the natural beauty of the shell. Textured pieces model its complexity with intricate embroidery and a variety of stitching styles. This collection has been a textile adventure of sorts, with the designing team and the brand’s collaborators developing a new variety of stitches, innovations in technique inspired by the iconography of the Moches and the Incas surrounding Spondylus.
The characteristic pink, sometimes closer to a salmon and other faded with red undertones, has served as inspiration for the collection’s main palette, a set of colors designed and produced at the Studio. The tones go beyond the shell itself to also reflect the geography of Spondylus, from its native presence in the Northern coasts of Peru and in Ecuador, to its journey towards the heart of the Andes. Ivory and sand are present as well as intense blue, representing the crossing from sea, to desert, to the deep green of the wetlands. Coming back to the reddish browns and the blues of the mountains and their clear skies.
We continue to strive for communal growth and for high quality local fabrics. Spondylus, with its coastal origins, uses mostly Peruvian cotton, guaranteeing a cool and soft touch for the warmer season. Furthermore, innovation in knitting is an exciting path and a source of pride for the talented artisanal communities that form ESCVDO’s network.
