Huipil, the Mexican garment that travels the country in search of votes

Although they represent opposing political groups, both Claudia Sheinbaum as Xóchitl Gálvez share Not only their interest in governing the country and developing it, they also have in common an aspect in managing your image with the use of the huipila traditional Mexican garment.

Tradition

The huipil is recognized by the Ministry of Culture as a feminine garment whose embroidery is loaded with symbolism and metaphors of the indigenous worldview. Through the huipil the intrinsic relationship between the community and its land is represented.

The word huipil has its origin in the Chinanteca people who inhabit the northwest of Oaxaca since pre-Hispanic times. The term comes from the Nahuatl huipilli, which means decorated blouse or dress.

The embroidery motifs can be geometric, anthropomorphic, zoomorphic or botanical; The motif and its distribution in the huipil are different in each town. It is so emblematic that even March 7 was declared its national day and the presidential candidates know it. Regardless of the event she attends or with whom, for more than 10 years, the presidential candidate of the PAN, PRI and PRD, Xóchitl Gálvez, has used various designs of huipils and in multiple colors.

Applicants

important part of His pre-campaign was based on highlighting this garment, even stopping to buy huipils in areas of Oaxaca. Most of Xóchitl Gálvez's huipils are in the form of a dress or cape, although sometimes he uses them in the form of a blouse with more modern French-style jackets.

Since his participation in the internal contest of Morena From 2023, to date, Claudia Sheinbaum has used the huipil, particularly in the form of traditional blouse or with modern finishes. The colors of the parties he now represents, such as Morena, the Labor Party and the Green Party, are the ones he uses the most, as well as white.

However, Claudia Sheinbaum He usually wears this garment more when he goes on tours with citizenswhile when attending closed events, with businessmen, politicians or international interviews, she wears other types of clothing, such as single-color tailored suits or straight-cut dresses.

Political effect

“The clothes they wear can influence how we perceive them and, therefore, our decisions when voting,” said Jerry Jáuregui in an interview for EL DEBATE.

The expert in electoral campaigns and political marketing indicated that the clothing of the presidential candidates It's more than just a choice of clothing, it's a powerful communication tool. which can influence how they are perceived and, ultimately, how they vote.

For this reason, he added that it is important that candidates choose their clothing carefully and consistently, always thinking about the message they want to convey and the impact they want to have on citizens.

According to Jerry Jáuregui, a clear example is Xóchitl Gálvez, who has chosen to wear traditional costumes in his public appearances. He analyzed that while this may be a strategy to connect with the country's roots and traditions, it can also be confusing when seen recording videos in English in New York.

“What message do we want to convey? Are we trying to connect with our people or with international audiences? Consistency in communication is key,” she said.

National Day

On the other hand, he indicated that There are other candidates whose clothing may be more conventional, but equally important. “The image they project must be aligned with their speech and with the image they want to project. If they talk about change and modernity, their clothing should reflect that. If they present themselves as leaders close to the people, their style should be accessible and authentic,” she clarified.

As a senator, Xóchitl Gálvez promoted the decree of March 7 of each year as National Huipil Day. The date has been celebrated since 2022 and recognizes that there is a great diversity of huipils. For example, on the Costa Chica of Guerrero, in the municipality of Xochistlahuaca, the Amuzgo people.

In that region, women preserve this traditional dress, consisting of three canvases made on the backstrap loom, in which they depict different figures related to the flora and fauna with which they live, whether they are water cockroaches, flowers or pumpkin seeds. . Others are made on a white blanket, embroidered with handmade cotton, combining flowers, birds, lambs and eagles devouring snakes.

Women

Women prepare by making huipils for direct marketing, both locally and regionally, as it also represents an important source of income for families in the area. The costs vary from the type of material, embroidery, city or bus and range between 200 pesos and 100 thousand pesos.

In Mexico, 26 million people recognize themselves as part of an indigenous people. In addition, 6.5 percent of the population aged 3 years and older speaks one of the 68 indigenous languages ​​that exist in the country.

Huipil, tradition and culture

1. The huipils worn by the presidential candidates are loaded with indigenous worldview in their designs.
2. Its use spread throughout Mesoamerica and continues to this day.
3. The word huipil has its origin in the Chinantec people who have inhabited northwest Oaxaca since pre-Hispanic times; The term comes from the Nahuatl huipilli, which means decorated blouse or dress.
4. The structure of a huipil is very simple: it is the result of joining one or more rectangular canvases on the sides, leaving openings for the head and arms.
5. Currently there are huipils with modern touches to boost sales.
6. The embroidery motifs can be geometric, anthropomorphic, zoomorphic or botanical; The motif and its distribution in the huipil are different in each town.
7. The textile fiber with which it was commonly made was that obtained from the maguey, but commercial exchanges between the Mexica and other peoples of Mesoamerica brought them into contact with cotton, which was widely accepted among the ruling class, but was restricted to the lower social classes.
8. During the viceregal period, this type of dress continued to be used and some adjustments were made to resemble European clothing, especially because for Catholic morality it was essential to cover certain parts of the body and this model complied with it.
9. They can cost from 200 pesos to 100 thousand, depending on the preparation time, material and technique.
10. The southern part of the country is the largest producer of this textile art.

The value of the huipil, native message of textile art

The creation and sale of huipils as an art in Mexico, faces important challenges ranging from originality in designs and competition with important distribution brands.

In an interview for EL DEBATE, Iván Rodríguez, creator and expert in textile crafts from the School of Crafts of the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature, shared that the value of a huipil not only lies in the time of its creation and the materials used. they use, but also in the message that the Mexican artisan expresses from his native culture.

He indicated that traditionally, The huipil is made on the backstrap loom, a pre-Columbian technique which has been adapted along with each region with the use of different materials, tools, such as local woods and the fibers used.

“Weaving a huipil involves a lot of time because as a fabric must be woven that is industrial, that is, it has a drape that does not feel stiff, and also, the work to make the design, the brocade, which is putting threads to make the figures and requires months of preparation, sometimes up to six months, depending on th
e complexity of these brocades,” he shared.

Iván Rodríguez, who makes his own designs with Azul Venado, added that what should not be missing is that it be a rectangular piece to be able to call it a huipil.

He explained that There are two types of huipils: the short huipil, which is about waist-length, a little lower, and the long huipil, which can reach up to the knees, or below the knees.which is what is normally used in indigenous communities.

For the textile artisan, the brands or companies that try to excuse themselves by saying that they are inspired by the huipil style, are unaware of the indigenous worldview and only market it and also make themselves cheap. However, he shared that just as there is fashion and ignorance, there is also a new rise in collectives of artisans who are organized to be able to create garments that are a little more contemporary, more marketable, so that they can sell them.

Jorge Álvarez Máynez

The psole candidate of Movimiento Ciudadano, Jorge Álvarez Máynez, usually wears black clothing, with straight and modern cuts. Other times he wears MC's well-known phosphorescent sneakers. “You don't just have to dress youthfully, you have to know how to speak, understand and connect with young people; Today we see many young people around the world with the new Apple Vision Pro and no candidate is in that innovation channel,” added Jerry Jáuregui.

Context

Risks of cultural appropriation?

Textile art in Mexico has been a source of inspiration for international clothing brands. However, some of them have also been accused of cultural appropriation, particularly in garments such as the huipil and embroidery patterns.

In 2023, the fashion house Dior held a parade at the emblematic Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City to present the Christian Dior Cruise 2024 collection, whose objective was to represent culture and feminism in Mexico, a message that was strongly criticized by activists. textile workers and feminists. The garments were criticized, calling the designer Maria Grazia Chiuri, and the company, cultural appropriation.

In 2021, the Mexican Ministry of Culture addressed letters to the brands Zara, Anthropologie and Patowl, in which it spoke out against improper cultural appropriation and called for a public explanation on the basis of which collective property is privatized. making use of cultural elements whose origin is identified in various Oaxacan communities, as well as the benefits that will be returned to the creative communities.

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