FARM RIO

Rauti beaded jewellery by Yawanawa Sociocultural Association (Acre state)

Necklace, bracelet and earring from Farm Rio Design Team Cultural Archive

Glass beads

The pieces made by the Yawanawa women carry the timeless wisdom of the forest, and the vibrant composition of the beads represents a more recent expression. This practice leads to a path of female empowerment within the community - one of the few in Brazil led by a female shaman (spiritual leader), Hushashu Yawanawa. They also embrace a new understanding of rauti, a deeply meaningful term that translates as 'ornaments of beauty and protection'.

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Rauti beaded maxi dress by Katia Barros for Farm Rio

In collaboration with Yawanawa Sociocultural Association (Acre state)

Fall 2021

Beaded rauti fringes

Viscose Lenzing™️ Ecovero™️, glass beads

For over seven years, Farm Rio has collaborated with the Yawanawa community to enhance the development of their indigenous jewellery. Inspired by this jewellery, Farm’s creative team designed a print that pays homage to the Yawanawa's rich connection to Brazil's nature and vibrant culture, incorporating elements such as the snake and the butterfly. These vibrant beaded pieces, imbued with the timeless wisdom of the forest, symbolise the future for the Yawanawa community, giving a fresh interpretation to the traditional term ‘rauti’, which means ‘ornaments of beauty and protection’. The fringes of the dress, which took the Yawanawá women Laurita, Meyu, Marilene, Chaga and Mariasuzana 20 days to make, has about 10 metres of fringe made from 5 kilos of glass beads.