Fashion with purpose: Amazon designers fighting injustice
For years, the fashion industry has relied on exploitative practices that have taken the wisdom, craft, and resources from Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon without giving fair compensation or acknowledging their contributions. The Amazon Rainforest, the world’s largest and most biodiverse ecosystem, has long provided invaluable knowledge and regenerative materials, yet the fashion industry has often failed to honor these resources properly.
This is changing. A new generation of designers is leading the charge against these extractive practices, creating a fashion movement that values regeneration over exploitation. These visionary brands are not only creating sustainable fashion, but they are also protecting the people, traditions, and knowledge of the Amazon.
The work of designers such as Maurício Duarte and Sioduhi Studio highlights how innovation and Indigenous craft can be combined for a sustainable future. Maurício Duarte’s Piracema collection, made from pirarucu fish scales, is a tribute to the Amazon’s rivers, fish, and forests, honoring the ecosystem and Indigenous communities of northern Brazil. Similarly, Sioduhi Studio’s Maniocolor collection uses cassava peel, sustainably sourced from the Amazon, to create beautiful designs that blend ancestral knowledge with modern, regenerative design practices.
These designers are proving that fashion can be a tool for positive change. By adopting circular, nature-based practices and forming ethical partnerships with Indigenous artisans, they show that style doesn’t have to come at the cost of people or the planet. Brands like Nalimo, Sioduhi Studio, and Dendezeiro are challenging traditional fashion norms by embracing sustainability, promoting gender equality, and ensuring that Indigenous communities receive fair compensation for their resources and knowledge.
Fashion is no longer just about trends; it can now be a vehicle for social, environmental, and cultural change. As these designers reshape the future of fashion, they are showing the world that it’s possible to honor tradition while driving climate action.
