THE STORY OF JAVIERA X ESTRADA
It all started when. . .
I became extremely disheartened by the fashion industry’s excessive waste, pollution, and toxicity. As I started to research, I was shocked to find out that many textiles are sprayed with harmful chemicals, which include silicone waxes, petroleum scours, softeners, heavy metals, flame retardants, ammonia, and formaldehyde! What?! My clothes were literally poisoning me. I no longer wanted to partake in the problem. Therefore, I started to shop exclusively in second-hand stores and sought out eco-friendly, sustainable, toxic-free brands. Thrifting allowed me to buy chemical-free clothing (as they had already been through multiple washes) and find beautiful and unique vintage designer pieces.
As I started becoming more conscious of my own carbon footprint, I began what I call “breathing new life” into pieces of my wardrobe which no longer inspired me. I had a beautiful leather purse—barely used— which in the past I would have tossed out. Instead, I decided to paint on it, transforming a plain purse into a beautiful, one-of-a-kind piece of art. This inevitably led me to paint on every leather piece in my closet— from shoes to jackets. And thus, JAVIERA X ESTRADA, a wearable art line was born!
The year 2020 has been an extraordinary one! In consequence, I dedicate my first line after this wild Chinese Year, METAL RAT.
THE PROCESS
I source high-quality vintage leather which I lovingly restore. The leather is cleaned, stripped of its topcoat, conditioned, hand-painted, and then re-coated with a leather sealant. Only interested in natural fibers (toxic-free), I re-line the coats with gorgeous silks. The silk used is also “up-cycled”, meaning they are end-of-roll (they will never be reproduced again). All packaging comes from recycled materials and I highly encourage repurposing the hand-painted box which it comes in. Every part of the process, from the leather to the packaging is re-cycled, up-cycled, and or bio-degradable.
Every creation is a unique, one-of-a-kind, hand-made, wearable piece of art. No two pieces are alike. My painting process is organic, as each piece dictates the painting style. The famous artist, Michelangelo once said,
“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”
I feel the same way about each piece of leather! It’s always a wonderful surprise to discover how each piece wants to express itself with its own bespoke colors, lines, and text. Indigenous symbology, literature, poetry, ancient text, fabricated myths, modern minimal lines, bold graphics, and whimsical florals are some of the textures which are woven in each piece.
*Please note, even though most of the pieces are in beautiful condition, they are vintage and may have slight imperfections. In addition, I shop for quality pieces with cuts that inspire me, not by labels. The high-end designer pieces will always include the original label for posterity's sake.