MAURICIO DUARTE

Mermaid gown

Piracema collection, summer 2024

Organic cotton crochet dress with pirarucu fish scales embroidery

 

The word piracema comes from the Tupi-Guarani language meaning “ascent of the fish” (pira = fish, cema = ascent). The Piracema collection pays a poetic tribute to the Amazon’s

rivers, fish, and forest, honouring the traditional riverside and indigenous communities of northern Brazil. Piracema appears as a metaphor that links the importance of rivers and their waters with the fertility and abundance of fish, which are the main source of food for these communities.

 

Maurício Duarte belongs to the Kaixana Indigenous people and founded his eponymous brand in 2013. His practice combines ancestry, innovation and contemporary sophistication.

 

Featured in the Fashion category of Forbes Brazil’s ‘Under 30’ in 2022, he is the first indigenous designer to be part of the official line-up of São Paulo Fashion Week.

 

Courtesy of the brand