Diseño de una colección de prendas sastres corporativas con elementos identitarios de la Cultura Puruhá para mujeres indígenas en la Empresa Sueños D’ Novios

Abstract

Corporate clothing in Ecuador responds to standardized norms of Western origin that exclude the symbolic expressions of Indigenous peoples, generating a gap between cultural identity and the formal work environment. The Puruhá culture settled in the Riobamba canton, province of Chimborazo, faces a gradual loss of its cultural identity due to the scarce offer of garments with identity in the local market, this situation intensifies when women of this culture access corporate spaces and must opt for dress codes that do not reflect their cultural legacy. This research aimed to design a collection of corporate tailored garments that incorporate symbols of the Puruhá culture, in order to highlight Indigenous cultural identity. A qualitative approach of descriptive and exploratory scope was used, based on the User-Centered Design methodology, structured in four stages: context analysis, requirements definition, design and evaluation. Focus groups were carried out with Indigenous Puruhá women from the corporate environment, semi-structured interviews were conducted with artisans from the Licto parish and with the owner of the company Sueños D’ Novios, bibliographic sources and observation sheets were reviewed. The results were validated through methodological triangulation. The important symbols that could be reinterpreted were identified: the chacana, the quingo, the elongated rhombus and zoomorphic figures such as the amaru serpent. Users gave priority to vests, loose-cut pants, blazers and coats in a chromatic palette that ranged between dark tones with accents in pink, blue, green, red and yellow. The collection called Kawsay Yuyari was developed through the intervention of industrial embroidery, which certifies the aesthetic and technical feasibility of incorporating the symbolisms of the Puruhá culture into corporate tailored garments. It is concluded that clothing design can function as an instrument for cultural valorization, articulating Indigenous identity.