Beyond the Runway: How Colectiva Nudo 6/6's fashion reflects memory, identity, and innovation
Words by Cristina Afonso
Graphics by Emma Wirt
**This interview was conducted in Spanish with translated answers provided by NUDO 6/6*
At the runway of Vancouver Fashion Week this early spring, Nudo 6/6 walked with their collection Ancestral Synergy. As a collective of 750 indigenous Mexican women, their fashion speaks through their heritage, seeking to stitch tradition with innovation. From the crowd, I had the opportunity to witness a truly empowering moment, as four representatives walked down the catwalk towards the end with proud smiles and teary eyes–or maybe those were mine. Their presence on stage inspired me as a Latina artist myself, and it was a true honor to get to speak with them a bit about what it means to use art as a tool of honoring their heritage and bringing their culture to a global stage.
FEMMAGE ZINE: To begin, could each of you please introduce yourselves by name and share a bit about your role within Colectiva Nudo 6/6? I’d also love to hear what personally drew you to this collective and what part of the creative process speaks most to you.
Para comenzar, ¿por favor podrían presentarse cada una por su nombre y contarnos un poco sobre su rol dentro de Colectiva Nudo 6/6? También me encantaría saber qué fue lo que las atrajo personalmente a esta colectiva y qué parte del proceso creativo las conmueve o inspira más.
NUDO 6/6: We're incredibly proud to represent so many women from our Indigenous communities in Chiapas and Yucatán, Mexico. Bringing this to the global stage is a major milestone for us — it allows us to showcase the importance of our work and have it recognized worldwide. Although not all of the artisans could assist at Vancouver Fashion Week, they were always in our minds and hearts. The four representatives that assisted were:
Margarita López Hernández is an esteemed Tsotsil leader and artisan from Shulvó, Zinacantán, Chiapas, with over 20 years of experience in inclusion and community development initiatives. As a co-founder of Kip Tik, Margarita has specialized in promoting and preserving ancestral backstrap weaving and embroidery techniques, working with women artisans from various municipalities in Chiapas. In her role, she oversees production, ensures quality, and manages national sales, thus driving the local and international artisan economy.
Her experience includes collaborations with various NGOs and foundations, where she has led workshops on gender, health, finance, and product development, always from an intercultural perspective. Margarita stands out for her ability to bridge empirical knowledge with modern market needs, fostering a strong cultural identity among artisans and promoting labor inclusion by strengthening their skills.
Beyond her work at Kip Tik, Margarita has served as a promoter, translator, and workshop leader in areas ranging from nutrition to human rights, sharing her expertise at events and conferences in Mexico and abroad. With a focus on diversity and inclusion, Margarita contributes to the empowerment of Indigenous communities through committed leadership and a clear vision for integrating their culture respectfully into a globalized world. She always believed that the real way to triumph in this world is hitting aside competition and coming together in collaboration.
Tania Gómez is from the municipality of Chenalhó, Chiapas. She is 33 years old, a textile artisan, and a native Tsotsil speaker. She learned embroidery from a young age, following the example of her mother, a leading artisan in their community. Since childhood, Tania has been part of an artisan group, received training, and participated in sales expos outside her state. For her, preserving ancestral embroidery techniques and their meanings is a fundamental part of her family legacy.
Over time, she began teaching quality workshops for her fellow artisans and later became part of ATA’s training programs. Thanks to her skills and leadership, she was promoted to field promoter within the organization, where she led workshops on product quality improvement, finishing techniques, color combinations, pricing, and even personal development topics such as self-esteem, leadership, and teamwork. She later joined the Dos Tierras project, where she is now a partner and currently coordinates the design and production areas. She also oversees the work of various artisan groups, ensuring that each piece meets the highest quality standards.
Mildré Ramírez is a master artisan from the community of Teabo, specializing in the preservation and evolution of traditional techniques such as Xmanikté, Bac Chuy, Cinta Chuy, Kaxbi Chuy, Mul Och, cross-stitch, and embroidery. Her passion for textile art has led her to share her knowledge, train other artisans, and promote creative collaboration.
She has worked in partnership with designer Valeria Lobato on a cross-stitch collection, always with the vision of co-creating rather than merely working for someone. Her career includes participation in international forums such as FLII in Guatemala and Chicago Fashion Week. In April, she presented her work at Vancouver Fashion Week, aiming to highlight cultural and aesthetic diversity while emphasizing the importance of respect for artisanal work. Her brand, Antalika’a, was founded in 2013 with the mission of merging craftsmanship with a contemporary and elegant approach, keeping traditions alive through unique and meaningful designs.
Fidelia Ek Arte Sur is an artisanal enterprise that brings together the talent of the communities of Mayapán and Maní, Yucatán, to create unique pieces that celebrate Maya cultural heritage. Their signature technique, Xmanikbeen embroidery, blends tradition and artistry in every stitch. They also stand out for their cross-stitch and warp designs, reflecting authenticity and elegance.
Fidelia is from Maní, Yucatán, and she is the sales representative of Arte Sur, as well as a master artisan in cross-stitch. She is also one of the few artisans who still embroiders using the Xmanikbee technique.
FEMMAGE ZINE: Can you talk a bit about the origins of the collective? What brought you together, and how did you grow this collaborative project with over 750 indigenous Mexican women?
¿Podrían contarnos un poco sobre los orígenes de la colectiva? ¿Qué las unió y cómo desarrollaron este proyecto colaborativo que hoy reúne a más de 750 mujeres indígenas mexicanas?
NUDO 6/6: The Nudo 6/6 Collective emerged as a joint effort between design brands, social organizations, and artisan enterprises that share a common vision: to promote textile traditions, cultural identity, and artisanal knowledge from various regions of Mexico through a contemporary lens with international reach. Through various collaborations, collective efforts have come together with the goal of creating real opportunities for hundreds of women artisans organized in communities across Yucatán and Chiapas.
FEMMAGE ZINE: How does your cultural heritage influence the way you design and create fashion?
¿Cómo influye su herencia cultural en la forma en que diseñan y crean moda?
NUDO 6/6: We are the guardians of ancestral knowledge. We are also the representatives of women artisans from Indigenous communities in two states of the Mexican Republic — this is something unprecedented. We believe that collaboration and joining forces helps us go further. This is not the first time some of us have participated in a runway, and we have seen that credit is always given to individuals. We are a collective, and we want the recognition to go to all the women who are represented in every garment, in every piece, and in every thread. We want people to know that our ancestral techniques have been preserved thanks to our strength and resistance, and that it is because of the love we have for our heritage that we want to bring this knowledge to other places and new horizons.
Our traditional techniques are practiced and shared from generation to generation. Our techniques have been, and always will be, the same; however, they must adapt to new combinations, compositions, and transformations to remain appealing to new generations — this is the only way they can be passed on. Current design trends set the tone, and our traditional garments change over time. This is how women continue to practice and share, through the adaptation of textiles to the present moment. We believe our pieces are on the same level as those of any designer presenting their work at fashion events around the world.
FEMMAGE ZINE: As Latin American women working in fashion, what challenges have you faced, both in the industry and in preserving authenticity?
Como mujeres latinoamericanas trabajando en la industria de la moda, ¿qué desafíos han enfrentado tanto dentro del sector de la moda, como en la tarea de preservar la autenticidad de su cultura?
NUDO 6/6: We shape fashion by understanding it not only as an aesthetic expression, but as a powerful tool to give visibility and voice to Indigenous communities. Through our collection, a space is created to tell stories that are often left untold in many spaces, using fashion as a vehicle for activism — though it is not the sole purpose. We’ve held various events where we demonstrate our techniques and conferences where we share our life stories.
FEMMAGE ZINE: Your presence at Vancouver Fashion Week was undeniably powerful—as a Latina artist myself, I was incredibly touched by the representation your collection brought to the catwalk. What did that moment mean to you?
Su presencia en la Vancouver Fashion Week fue verdaderamente impactante. Como artista latina, me conmovió profundamente la representación que su colección llevó a la pasarela. ¿Qué significó ese momento para ustedes?
NUDO 6/6: Being in Vancouver for the runway and various events gives us the opportunity to introduce this artistry and our efforts to preserve its knowledge, to people who may be unfamiliar with how a garment is made entirely by hand. Through this, we can open doors for more women and, drawing on inherited knowledge, innovate through design. The selection of materials, techniques, and collaborations with creators from Indigenous communities not only highlights the beauty of ancestral traditions, but also challenges dominant narratives, positioning fashion as a form of resistance and empowerment.
By bringing these stories to an international stage, NUDO 6/6 amplifies cultural impact, raising awareness among global audiences about the importance of sustainability, identity, and respect for Indigenous cultures. Our traditional garments give us identity, and we want to show the pride we feel in wearing them.
Along this journey, we’ve realized that Vancouver offers opportunities to connect with Indigenous peoples of these lands and with people from all over the world. We’re beginning to see that we are not the only ones who respect the environment, value traditions, and fight to preserve ancestral heritage. Attending this event will open doors for our Collective — not just to participate in a runway show, but to create opportunities for many other women as well.
FEMMAGE ZINE: What is the creative process like for a collection like Ancestral Synergy? How is the collaboration inside the collective?
¿Cuál es el proceso creativo para una colección como Ancestral Synergy? ¿Cómo se da la colaboración dentro de la colectiva?
NUDO 6/6: For us, innovation and tradition are not opposites — they are partners. We believe that honoring our ancestral techniques means keeping them alive, and the only way to do that is by allowing them to evolve while staying grounded in their cultural roots. Every embroidery stitch, every woven thread carries generations of knowledge, but it also carries the possibility of transformation.
When we reimagine our techniques, we start by listening — to the elders who taught us, to the women who practice these arts daily, and to the stories that are woven into every textile. From there, we ask: How can we share these traditions with new audiences without diluting their meaning? The answer is through collaboration, mutual respect, and intention.
Our designs don’t aim to "modernize" in the way the fashion industry often understands it — instead, we adapt our work to speak to today’s world, without letting go of where we come from. We might play with colors, silhouettes, or materials, but the hands that embroider, the symbols we use, and the time-honored processes remain deeply rooted in our communities.
In Colectiva Nudo 6/6, we are constantly in dialogue with each other. Designers, artisans, and cultural leaders work side by side, ensuring that the creative direction never strays from the collective values we share. It's not about trend-chasing — it’s about storytelling through textile, and finding new ways to keep our heritage breathing, moving, and thriving across generations and borders.
Authenticity isn’t static; it lives in our ability to adapt while still remembering who we are.
FEMMAGE ZINE: Your manifesto beautifully speaks to innovation rooted in tradition. How do you approach reimagining ancestral techniques without compromising their authenticity?
Su manifiesto habla de manera hermosa sobre la innovación arraigada en la tradición. ¿Cómo abordan el reimaginar técnicas ancestrales sin comprometer su autenticidad?
NUDO 6/6: We don’t see innovation as something that threatens authenticity, but rather as a way to keep our traditions alive and relevant. Our techniques — like backstrap loom weaving, cross-stitch, or Xmanikbeen embroidery — have been passed down through generations. They carry stories, identities, and a worldview that we’re proud to uphold.
When we innovate, we do so from within the community, not outside of it. The artisans themselves are the ones who decide how to adapt or reinterpret a design, always grounded in their knowledge, their symbols, and their rhythms. Sometimes that means experimenting with new color palettes, new formats, or collaborating with designers who understand and respect our processes — but it never means abandoning what makes these practices sacred.
Authenticity, to us, means staying rooted in intention. It means that even if the silhouette of a garment changes or it's presented on a global runway, the spirit behind the work remains intact. That spirit is shaped by community, by collective memory, and by the hands of the women who bring each piece to life.
Ultimately, our goal is not just to preserve tradition, but to ensure it continues to grow — with dignity, agency, and creativity — led by the very communities who inherited it.
FEMMAGE ZINE: In the manifesto, you also mention a commitment to sustainability and social justice. What does that look like to Colectiva Nudo 6/6?
En el manifiesto también mencionan su compromiso con la sostenibilidad y la justicia social. ¿Cómo se traduce eso en el trabajo que realiza Colectiva Nudo 6/6?
NUDO 6/6: At Colectiva Nudo 6/6, sustainability and social justice are not separate goals — they are woven into everything we do. For us, they are lived values, not trends or checkboxes.
Sustainability starts with the land and the hands. We use natural fibers, local dyes, and time-honored techniques that have always respected the environment. Traditional practices like backstrap weaving and hand embroidery inherently have a low environmental impact — no electricity, no waste, just skill, patience, and knowledge passed through generations. But sustainability also means creating systems that last — economically, culturally, and socially. We don’t believe in fast fashion or mass production. Each piece is made with care, in its own time, ensuring fair wages and healthy working conditions for every artisan.
Social justice means equity, visibility, and power in the hands of the women who create. It means that decisions are made collectively, that credit is shared, and that the artisans are not just labor — they are leaders, designers, and cultural ambassadors. Our structure is horizontal, and our collaborations are based on mutual respect, not hierarchy. We create spaces for women to learn, teach, and grow — not just artistically, but in leadership, entrepreneurship, and self-determination.
Being part of this collective allows women — many of whom have faced systemic exclusion due to their gender, ethnicity, or geographic location — to access new opportunities without leaving behind their language, identity, or way of life. So when we talk about sustainability and justice, we mean crafting a different kind of fashion — one that cares for people, culture, and the planet at the same time.
FEMMAGE ZINE: How do you see fashion as a tool for resistance and reclamation?
¿Cómo ven la moda como una herramienta de resistencia y de recuperación de identidad?
NUDO 6/6: Fashion, for us, is much more than clothing — it’s a language, a form of memory, and a powerful tool for resistance and reclamation.
When Indigenous women create textiles using ancestral techniques, we are resisting erasure. Each garment is a declaration that our cultures are alive, evolving, and unapologetically present. In a world where Indigenous voices have often been silenced or appropriated, fashion allows us to reclaim our narratives on our own terms — not as something exotic or “inspired by,” but as the originators and owners of our traditions.
Fashion becomes resistance when we choose to honor slow, handmade processes in a fast-fashion world. It’s resistance when we insist on fair pay, creative agency, and shared authorship. It’s resistance when we challenge dominant beauty standards by bringing Indigenous aesthetics and worldviews to global platforms like Vancouver Fashion Week — and not as tokens, but as leaders in the conversation.
It is also a form of reclamation and resistance— of identity, of land, of language, and of dignity. Many of our techniques were once looked down on or dismissed as “craft,” yet now, through collective effort and cultural pride, we are showing the world their true value. We’re reclaiming our right to be seen, not as subjects of folklore, but as contemporary creators shaping the future of fashion.
FEMMAGE ZINE: What message or emotion do you hope that your collections can bring to the audience?
¿Qué mensaje o emoción esperan transmitir al público a través de sus colecciones?
NUDO 6/6: Above all, we hope our collections evoke respect, connection, and reflection.
Every piece we create carries stories — of women, of families, of entire communities who have preserved this knowledge with strength, love, and resistance. When someone sees or wears one of our garments, we want them to feel that they are touching something meaningful — something rooted in history, identity, and deep cultural memory.
We hope our work challenges audiences to see fashion differently — not just as aesthetics or trends, but as a living expression of who we are. We want people to understand the time, intention, and ancestral knowledge embedded in every thread. These aren’t just clothes — they are languages, prayers, and acts of survival.
We also hope people feel a sense of solidarity — a realization that behind each piece is a network of women working collectively, choosing collaboration over competition, and building futures through creativity. If our collections can spark curiosity, respect, or even a shift in how people view Indigenous work and women’s labor, then we've succeeded.
Ultimately, we want our garments to carry the feeling of dignity — for the women who made them and for those who wear them with the knowledge of their origin.
FEMMAGE ZINE: What advice do you have for immigrant or diasporic artists who want to honor their culture?
¿Qué consejo le darían a artistas migrantes o de la diáspora que buscan honrar su cultura a través de su trabajo?
NUDO 6/6: Our advice to immigrant or diasporic artists who want to honor their culture is this: start by grounding yourself in your roots — and carry them forward with pride, not fear.
Your culture is not something you left behind; it travels with you. It lives in your language, your memories, your family’s stories, your food, your art. You don’t need to "modernize" or water it down to make it palatable — honoring your culture means telling your truth with integrity.
Seek out the elders, the stories, the techniques — even if you have to search from afar. Let your work be a bridge: between past and present, between where you're from and where you are now. And don’t be afraid to experiment. Culture isn’t static — it evolves. You have the right to reinterpret and reimagine it, as long as you do so with respect, context, and accountability.
Surround yourself with people who share your values. Community is everything. Collaboration over competition — that’s what has allowed us at Nudo 6/6 to thrive and amplify our message. Don’t let the pressures of mainstream narratives push you to conform — your difference is your strength.
And finally, remember: your presence is powerful. In every space you enter, you carry generations with you. Stand tall in that. Your art, your voice, and your vision are part of something much larger — and that deserves to be seen, heard, and honored.
FEMMAGE ZINE: Lastly, how can someone support Colectiva Nudo 6/6?
Muchas gracias por todas sus respuestas, para cerrar, ¿cómo se puede apoyar el trabajo de Colectiva Nudo 6/6?
NUDO 6/6: You can support us by following us on our Instagram, LinkedIn and Youtube accounts where you can have all the information about us and what's going to be next. As well, you can purchase from every brand that makes Colectiva Nudo 6/6 so that we can keep designing more garments preserving our traditions.