El Intercambio Cultural / A Cultural Exchange

The display features 48 rebozos designed for the 21st century by students from Chelsea College of Art & Design and University and Iberoamericana. The outcome of an international exchange programme in which textile students from both institutions responded to the brief ‘Mestizos – A mix of culture’ to interpret the rebozo through the prism of Mexican culture. Elements of the brief included researching architecture, art, folklore and literature.

The participating students chose their subjects and spent eight weeks researching, developing and producing their projects. All the participants created a sample ribbon initially, which has ensured that all their work features in the Made in Mexico exhibition. Two prize winners from each institution have been selected to travel to the other country with support from the British Council, the Anglo-Mexican Foundation and British Airways.

The work was judged by a panel of experts including anthropologist Marta Turok and fashion designers Carmen Rion and Lydia Lavin in Mexico City, and fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, Mexican folk art expert Chloë Sayer and weaver Mary Restieaux in London.

The Chelsea project took the theme of Mestizos, a Mexican term for the fusion of cultures to inspire designs in weave, knit, print and stitch for a series of ‘ribbons’ to go on show as part of this exhibition. The objective of the UK project was to create a unique colour palette that captured the spirit of an aspect of Mexican culture and its environments.

The projects included a competition element supported by The British Council and the Anglo Mexican foundation. Selected work contributes to the Made in Mexico exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London and goes on to the Franz Mayer Museum, Mexico City. The winners will go on a cultural exchange to the University in Mexico City, Iberoamericano, and two students from there will come to London.

The Chelsea final designs were judged by renowned British designer, Zandra Rhodes, specialist Ikat weaver, Mary Restieaux and writer,Chloe Sayer. The Chelsea winning designers, Rose Danford-Phillips and Yixi Cai, developed their designs into contemporary Rebozos for the exhibition in June. More details of the Made in Mexico exhibition and opening times can be found here