Eco Fashion World

 

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL DIAZ 

I am blessed to have been born and raised within a beautiful culture which has infused every part of my life, from the language, dance, music, art, and food, to an appreciation for family, friendship, togetherness and affection. The magic in this world recently granted a wish of mine through a long awaited visit with a large part of my family on the Caribbean island of Cuba, the country where both my parents were born to which I traveled over 9 years ago with my mother for a first visit. Last time, I carried with me stories I had been told all my life and held no other expectations. It was my first time in a third world country, my first time meeting many family members, and my mother’s first time back since she and her family left the island when she was 15 years old. I enjoyed my trip but I think I was in a state of disorientation and shock for a large part of it. I was more observing and not so much taking part. This time, I vowed to delve deeper into that culture which runs deeply in my veins and I wanted to incorporate my work in fashion and the arts into my trip. As I researched art and fashion of the present Havana, I hit the jackpot. A google search led me to Dionisio Abad Jarrosay Ruíz.

 

DIONISIO ABAD JARROSAY RUIZ 

With some effort, I was able to contact a representative of Dionisio by email. Once I arrived in Havana and had some time to settle in with my family, we were able to coordinate schedules and plan a meeting. Dionisio and his wife, muse and business partner were gracious enough to invite me into their home where we spent hours on two different days talking, laughing, recounting his journey to where he is today and looking through many of his beautiful works. The story of this young man is impressive to say the least, not only taking into account what he has already done with what he has but also considering the possibilities and the hope he holds for his future.

SKETCH BY DIONISIO

Dionisio was born in Havana on July 9, 1977 to Lázaro Gregorio Jarrosay and Dolores del Carmen Ruíz, both painters who used to sit a young Dionisio on their laps while they painted. From a young age, the fluidity of art in this household was strong, passionate and relentless. His parents repeated their teachings with younger brother Marlon years later. Dionisio’s early artistic expression revealed itself in the form of sci-fi like drawings, a few of which I was able to look at as I stood there in contemplative awe of the detail and imagination involved. Dionisio went on to study art throughout all his years in school, later completing university studies with focus on graphic design in 1996. With an obvious unquenchable thirst for knowledge of all things that spark his curiosity, Dionisio did something no other student in the history of the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro in Havana has ever done; he returned to the university and completed a second degree in 2004, this time with a focus on sculpture. It was during his second round of university that his interest was sparked by fashion when he attended a fashion show with a friend, studied the process, and subsequently met a model named Yanelis Nuris.

ILLUSTRATION BY DIONISIO

From the moment his interest was peaked (by both fashion and Yanelis), he began to research garment construction and asked a friend to teach him how to sew. Dionisio and Yanelis began dating and one day while they were at her family’s house, her mother began to clear a closet full of crochet swatches. Dionisio instinctively ran to rescue them from the trash, knowing he could incorporate them into his designs. Finding inspiration in everything from real life things like landscapes and arches in the architecture all over Havana, to imagined things like the horse-bird he painted a few years ago, he began to form a collection, first in his mind then transferred to paper. With a lot of work and still more determination, the first collection was completed.

ILLUSTRATION BY DIONISIO

Dionisio’s designs have been featured in several fashion shows and exhibits throughout Havana and surrounding areas. Both his paintings and garment designs are a part of private international collections in Cuba, Germany, Italy, Canada, Mexico, France, the United States and Spain. He has been on staff for several years at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana and is now also a dean at the institute. Dionisio has been designing garments since 2001 and has created a few small capsule collections as his design talents are ever evolving. He describes his transition from painting, graphic design and sculpture into apparel as a natural shift and says he sees apparel as 3-dimensional soft sculpture.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROMULO SANS

Here is a closer look at Dionisio Abad Jarrosay Ruiz via Q&A –

EFW: Do you have a favorite artist you admire and why?

DR: Malcolm Jarrosay, my brother. From a very young age he is able to see color where its existence is unimaginable, where others (many professionals) have not been able to see it. I also admire Gustav Klimt for his combinations of traditional art with decorative art; Alfons Mucha for his illustrative talent; Yves Saint Laurent and Coco Chanel for their designs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROMULO SANS

EFW: What is your design process? Sketch first then work from that and choose materials or do you choose materials first then work from that point?

DR: When I am designing for myself, I sketch first and later decide on materials. If I am designing for a client, I see the material first and design based on the material.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROMULO SANS

EFW: Do you design and have someone else construct the garments or do you construct the garments yourself?

DR: I create a sketch on paper with all of its variants. At times I utilize the help of a seamstress but since I like to be very independent, many times I sew all the garments myself. Some of the crochet work is completed between my wife Yanelis and my mother-in-law, Felicia.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL DIAZ

EFW: Many of the garments I have seen are made of linen and gauze; are there other materials you use or are planning to use and why have you chosen these materials?

DR: I use linen, gauze, and natural cotton. There is a scarcity of materials in Cuba and these are the best options for many reasons. The synthetic materials available are impractical, not only because they are expensive but also because they are not as light and wearable as these natural fabrics. Linen, gauze and cotton are perfect for our tropical climate and the use of natural fabrics is more than important for the protection of our skin and the environment.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL DIAZ

With obvious challenges with regard to freedom of expression and resources in Cuba, this art prodigy marches on with the stroke of a brush or pencil, the turn of the wheel on his antique sewing machine, and a show of support by his family, friends and colleagues.

My final question to Dionisio Abad Jarrosay Ruiz was this, “What do you hope to do with all of this talent?” He looked out his front door from the living room where we were sitting and with a strong, deep gaze followed by a deep breath, he replied “disfrutarlo y explotarlo” which translates to “enjoy it and ignite it.” Now, it is up to the world to respond.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL DIAZ

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