A Guatemala-born designer has combined indigenous weaving techniques, modern clothing design, and colourful history from her native country in a recent runway showcase in Brownsville, Texas.

The display offered a taste not only of Elena De Leon’s artistic vision but of work by Guatemalan mothers, including some in the US and others who remained at home to support their families.

Last week, The Costumes of the Americas Museum in the border city hosted the event with assistance from the Guatemalan Consulate in nearby McAllen and Maryland, where De Leon lives after migrating to the US seven years ago.

“I’m a woman thinking of the needs of her community and Guatemalan towns,” De Leon told the crowd before models wearing clothes made by Guatemalan women sashayed down the runway.

Applause, cheers, and intermittent flashes from photos were heard throughout the fashion show as women, children, and men walked to fast-tempo music while in deep red, woven fabric often displaying intricate designs adorning a woman’s top, skirt, or a man’s vest.

"Women carry the culture"

“Every single one of their textiles tell a story. A color has a significance, and each one of the regions, too,” said Rosario Ovando, Guatemala’s consul in McAllen.

About 200 women of Guatemalan descent living in the US or in their home country work with De Leon to sell their products and keep a personal duty.

“Women are also the ones that carry the culture, that carry the language. They carry the traditions,” Ovando said. “There’s a lot of tradition in our country and a lot of women that have this magic in their hands.”