CAMINOS DE AGUA: NEW SS25 COLLECTION BY SOMOS MHUYSCAS

Part of Caminos del Agua SS25's official lookbook. Image: courtesy of Somos Mhuyscas.

Following through with one of the main goals of this blog, which is to help increase the visibility of Latin American fashion brands and designers that go beyond the classic tropical chic trends that this side of the world is known for, this time we will talk about Somos Mhyuscas (“We are Mhuyscas” in Spanish).

Estiven Castro (@estivencastrovasquez), Somos Mhuyscas' founder and creative director, modeling for Caminos del Agua SS25's official lookbook. Image: courtesy of Somos Mhuyscas.

Somos Mhuyscas is the result of its founder and creative director, Estiven Castro, and his quest of ways to revalue and preserve the textile knowledge of the Muisca tribe he belongs to. This is the reason why he started the brand on 2016, making a point of it being completely handmade in traditional weaving techniques developed by the indigenous tribes of Cundinamarca, Colombia, and elaborated with organic fibers produced in the same region. Somos Mhuyscas’ garments have a high level of technical intricacies, an exquisite quality in both fabrics and designs, and they feel contemporary yet have a touch of traditional sensibility.

Nicolás Triana (@nicolastriana_) performing his live show during the release party of Caminos del Agua, wearing a total look of the same collection. Image: courtesy of Nicolás Triana.

The latest collection of Somos Mhyuscas for the upcoming spring-summer season of 2025, titled Caminos del Agua (“Water Paths” in Spanish), was released on the brand’s showroom in Tabio, Cundinamarca, a town about 1 hour and a half away from Bogotá. This event was done in collaboration with Chamán, a local restaurant, and included a live show by singer-songwriter Nicolás Triana, who performed his newest songs while wearing a total look from Caminos de Agua.

Part of Caminos del Agua SS25's official lookbook. Image: courtesy of Somos Mhuyscas.

Just as it happened with previous releases, this latest collection was exclusively made with Somos Mhuyscas’ typical techniques and materials, but this time around the brand used new hues they hadn’t tried before, such as royal blue combined with raw white and natural black.

The weaved designs in this collection were inspired by sacred symbols such as frogs and snakes and by the hydric riches of the Colombian Andean region, and some of them were created in collaboration with Cuban artist Valerio Ilustrador. They remind us of the Muisca cave paintings, but reimagined in a modern, easy to wear way. Motifs depicting sacred animals coexist in this collection with designs referring the moon and the sun, which are also subjects of devotion in Muisca cosmology.

Part of Caminos del Agua SS25's official lookbook. Image: courtesy of Somos Mhuyscas.

Caminos del Agua showcases consistency and coherence with Somos Mhuyscas’ brand DNA, while exploring antique knowledges from a contemporary perspective. The use of blue hues to match the brand’s trademark monochrome looks is the right choice considering the main theme of this collection, and focusing on clothes made for colder environments such as ruanas (Colombian style ponchos), tops and shawls points out the importance of giving more relevance to local fashion brands that defy the stereotypes of tropical styles that Colombian fashion industry is usually associated with.