Proudly donning majestic feathered headdresses, models sing an ode to the rain while a makeup artist draws geometric patterns on their faces, arms and thighs in preparation for Brazil's first-ever Indigenous fashion show.
Indigenous woman Cleiane Costa, from the Satere-Mawe tribe, poses for a photo during a fashion event in Manaus, Brazil, April 9, 2022.
"It is a feeling of happiness and pride," 19-year-old model Moan Munduruku told Agence France-Presse (AFP) ahead of his turn on the catwalk in Manaus in the Brazilian Amazon. "We are very eager to show our talent, in sewing, in crafts. To show the world that indigenous people can also succeed" in fashion, he said.
An Indigenous man has his face painted during a fashion event in Manaus, Brazil, April 9, 2022.
Thirty-seven models – women and men – representing 15 Indigenous groups of Brazil will take part in the monthlong Intercultural Exhibition of Indigenous Fashion in the Brazilian Amazon's largest city. For the entire month of April, the catwalk is to host the creations of 29 Indigenous designers.
Indigenous model Amirla Oliveira, of the Kulina tribe, poses during a fashion event in Manaus, Brazil, April 9, 2022.
The designers use natural elements in their creations, including the spearlike teeth of the peccary – an Amazonian boar – the red guarana fruit, acai seeds and coconut shells. The same geometric patterns sported by the models are repeated in the fabrics that envelop them.
Luana Melgueiro da Silva, of the Bare tribe, poses for a photo during a fashion event in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, April 9, 2022.
"It's a form of resistance, a way to overcome stereotypes," event organizer Reby Ferreira, 27, told AFP.
"Here in Manaus, unfortunately, many people are ashamed or even afraid to recognize that they have Indigenous blood. Our goal is for everyone to feel included and to show our culture to everyone through these clothes."
An Indigenous model presents a creation during a fashion event in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, April 9, 2022.
As the models walked down the catwalk to appreciative applause, thousands of Indigenous Brazilians gathered in the capital Brasilia some 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) away, for an annual mass camping event called Terra Livre (Free Land).
The gathering is both a rally for Indigenous rights and a protest against the government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who is in favor of opening indigenous reserves – already hard hit by deforestation – to mining and farming companies.
Indigenous women watch Indigenous models on the catwalk during a fashion event in Manaus, Brazil, April 9, 2022.
"I feel privileged to have been able to attend such an event in this place. We are generally excluded from such sites. Today I can see my people telling their story through fashion," said participant Bianca Mura, 24.
An Indigenous model presents a creation during a fashion event in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, April 9, 2022.
