"Nuestro Nopal Divinx"

$25

Design by:

Paloma Nicole Diaz

Dallas, TX

The Charity:

Cultura En Tu Ropa

"Nuestro Nopal Divinx"

$25

organic cotton

100% Organic Cotton, GOTS Certified and sustainably sourced in India from Chetna Organic, pre-washed for an extra soft feel
made by hand

Printed, Cut, Sewn, and Packaged by hand at a Fair Trade Certified facility in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Please note that there may be slight sizing and color variations from product to product
21" x 21"

Standard 21 x 21 inch bandana. Machine wash cold with like colors, line or tumble dry, warm iron, do not bleach

For her design, artist Paloma Diaz chose to highlight the Nopal, a species of cactus that is deeply significant in Mexican culture and cuisine. The title of Paloma's design translates to "Our Divine Nopal," and indeed this edible cactus species also known as "Opuntia" or "Prickly Pear" is one of the fundamental symbols of Mexico dating back to the time of the ancient Aztecs. The Aztecs considered it a sacred "planta de vida" (life-giving plant) for it's health benefits, drought-tolerance, and the fact that it's fallen leaves can form new plants. It was adopted as a symbol of the life-rebirth cycle found in many ancient Mexican myths, and are central to Mexican folklore and art today. Nopales remain a modern day staple, found in everything from health and beauty products to biofuel. Growing up in Dallas as a child of immigrant parents, Paloma explained that she was often not proud of her culture, and would shy away from her Mexican heritage in an attempt to assimilate or "Americanize."

Seeing her parents struggle with the language barrier and dealing with the daily micro-aggressions from peers made her feel embarrassed by and disconnected from the ancestral history of family. It wasn't, she told us, until she left for art school in San Francisco, that she was exposed to a diversity far beyond what she had ever experienced in Texas. As she saw the world from different perspectives and learned more about America's complicated history, it led her to dive deeper into an appreciation for her own Mexican and Latin American lineage, the exploration of which shapes much of her work to this day. Paloma's bandana design uses the Nopal as a central connection to her ancestral heritage, paying homage to her family, the natural landscape, and the ancient beauty of the Mexican culture through images and words printed in each corner forming the sentence "Venimos De, De America Latina, De Gente Bonita, Hasta La Raiz" or "We come from, from Latin America, from beautiful people, to the roots."

Dallas, TX

Paloma Nicole Diaz

www.palomanicole.com

Paloma Nicole Diaz is a graphic artist and illustrator based in Dallas, TX. She attended California College of the Arts in San Francisco, where she earned a BFA in illustration as well as a minor in the history of art and visual culture. As a first generation child of Mexican immigrants raised in the U.S., her work often explores and focuses on representations of her Mexican heritage. There is a readily-evident intentionality in Paloma's work, that belies the deep personal connections she feels to her subject matter. Each color, line, and piece of text feel considered, creating a sense of timelessness and dialogue with the past. Paloma self-describes her work as a unique blend of Mexican folk art and traditional wood engraving, centered around neutral, Earthy colors with pops of neon. Her pieces (including now 2 bandana designs for BANDITS!) nod to spirituality, femininity, and the Latinx experience. In addition to her own work, Paloma is also passionate about helping other Latinx artists and business owners to authentically elevate their brands. Through this work, She hopes to help the Latinx community feel seen and represented. Much like her own experience, she hopes to help others to embrace their cultural identities and discover pride in their own heritage. When she's not creating beautiful pieces or helping others, you can find Paloma traveling the world in search of new inspiration, new experiences, and new places to enjoy a great cup of coffee.

Cultura En Tu Ropa

Cultura En Tu Ropa ("CTR") is an organization founded by Sofía Uribe with the intention of being a conscious clothing brand. CTR aims to give space to the Artisans and highlight their lives, work, and lifestyles. CTR's mission is to act as a bridge for their partner Artisans, and understands that the Artisans are the ones who keep the traditions alive through culture and fabrics. As a result - CTR endeavors to support artisan communities not only with monetary donations, but also with cultural exchanges and business opportunities. Through their webstore and through facilitating direct purchases from artists, CTR provides a platform for artisan families to reach a global audience with their traditional skills and artisan products. Focusing on Fair Trade and transparent production, CTR features a beautiful assortment of traditional and contemporary clothing, ceramics, home goods, and textiles created by the featured artisans. The money from Artisans' product sales and group workshops goes directly to the Artisans. CTR does not do not keep any profits. That is why donations are so important - it helps CTR to cover registration fees, travel, and accommodation expenses for the Artisans as hey expand their skills and explore their creativity.
CTR is currently focused on two key initiatives: 1. The Hernandez family from San Juan Chamula Chiapas, who create traditional work with wool, cotton and ceramic crafts. CTR is in its 3rd year of its work with Rosa Hernandez and her family, and need funds to support them in continued knowledge exchange programs (weaving workshops, etc.). 2. The Cruz family, from San Andres Cohamiata Jalisco. The family are Wirrarika (Huichol) and live in the mountains, and recently ran out of water in the community well. CTR is helping these artisans to create/monetize their work to help generate support for their community. BANDITS is honored to help Paloma support these artisans with Paloma's beautiful banana!
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www.culturaenturopa.store