Carmen Fiol Contest, Celebrating the Culture of Dressing
The legacy of the renowned Cuban textile artisan, Carmen Fiol de la Cruz, is the centrepiece of a series of celebrations marking the centenary of her birth, organized by the Cuban Fund for Cultural Assets (FCBC), an entity of the Ministry of Culture that honoured her with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The beauty and utility of her work will be showcased in various activities organised by the National Council of Plastic Arts and the Cuban Association of Artisans and Artists, including the inaugural edition of the Carmen Fiol Design and Excellence in Dress Contest.
The aim of the FCBC with this competition is to stimulate and impart to current generations the experience that the leader of artisans bestowed upon Cuban women, her sensitivity, and taste for the culture of dressing, thus contributing to the national cultural heritage.
The exquisite taste and elegance evident in each of her pieces are hallmarks of her designs, in which she always took into account various aspects such as age, physique, occupation, fabric, and colour. These unique pieces feature pleats, drawn-thread work, various types of lace, crochet work, among other textile ornamentation techniques.
Carmen Fiol created her own system of measurements for cutting and sewing her designs, based on a method that anatomically models the human body, giving each piece exclusivity in cut and stitching.
As part of the centennial celebration, alongside the contest, a colloquium on her life and work is scheduled for April 23, along with the screening of the documentary «Lights and Shadows,» as outlined in the FCBC program.
Honoured with the UNESCO Crafts Excellence and Hands Awards, FCBC paid tribute to her at the 18th International Craft Fair, FIART 2014, and at the 20th edition in 2016, with an exhibition of her pieces at the Pabexpo exhibition centre. Once again, the craft fair in 2024 will pay homage, this time through a theoretical event.
Below are the details of the Carmen Fiol Contest, which will evaluate modernity in design, taking into account:
• Fabric used according to the climate characteristics and real existence in Cuba, with recycled fabrics in good condition accepted.
• Craftsmanship applied in the design; in the case of a garment using lace, woven, drawn-thread work, or other techniques.
• Cutting and sewing will also be evaluated; the latter in terms of both the exterior and interior finish, which does not necessarily have to be hand-sewn for the interior finish.
Participants must be between 18 and 45 years old and can submit one or two garments or ensembles of their own design, suitable for any time of day, and specifically for women of any age and style.
Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez
