UNIVERSO GURISA

PIECES WITH MEANING

I am Macarena Bordon Closs, originally from the province of Misiones, Argentina. I am a fashion and textile designer. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Buenos Aires and then moved to Madrid to specialize in the textile world.

My history with ñanduti lace began when I was very young; it has been a fabric that has marked many stages of my life. Gurisa (young woman in the Guaraní language) is a project of handmade fashion accessories made with the ñanduti technique, a Paraguayan technique that is an acculturation of the Spanish lace "soles de Tenerife," which was brought to Latin America during colonization and was readapted and revalued by the Paraguayan people.

With this project, I intend to continue teaching the technique that was previously transmitted from generation to generation but has gradually been lost. This technique is in danger of extinction due to the scarce generational replacement. I also want to create awareness about the revaluation of artisanal work, understanding its origins, its design process and production times, the hands that create it, and the materials used. I want each consumer to take a piece of this history home with them.

These designs can be translated as a story of threads interwoven into shapes of flowers, animals, and all the essence that came from the Guaraní jungle. Together with the weavers, we create unique and unrepeatable pieces, like small works of art. Gurisa is a product that pays attention to detail, environmental awareness, and also offers the possibility of customizing and adapting it to the needs of each user.

The main objective is to innovate in the world of design while always respecting traditional techniques. To revalue the beauty of the artisanal process, to transmit the history that this craft holds, which tells something at each stage of its elaboration.