Connection to Culture: Culturally Fueled Fashion from Acoma Pottery Art

The Pueblo of Acoma is home to designer Loren Aragon. It is one of 19 thriving Pueblo communities, located in New Mexico, and is considered to be one of the oldest continually inhibited civilizations in North America. The deep rooted history and rich cultural heritage of the Acoma people is the fueling factor for Aragon and has become the foundation for ACONAV designs. A matrilineal society which sets its beliefs largely on the power and strength of women has become the driving force behind the idea of “Evoke Empowerment” by the ACONAV brand.

Acoma woman carrying water in traditional Olla

Acoma is world renown for its pottery art thanks to the many matriarchs who have progressed the traditional art through the early years. Fine line details, geometric patterns and thin fine walls of the traditional Olla (pronounced oh-ya) set the pottery art of the Acoma people apart from its neighboring Pueblos. “I like to consider our pottery, the ‘Fine China’, of the pueblo pottery arts,” explains Aragon. “I’ve always admired the intensive labor which goes into a pottery piece and am grateful that I had grandmothers and mothers who shared their knowledge of pottery making with me.”

The pottery making process utilizes all natural materials taken from the earth to produce the clay which is coiled and shaped into the iconic vessels. Natural vegetation along with minerals are gathered from the surrounding ancestral lands and combined to create the pigment paints which are applied with yucca fiber brushes to the surface of the raw pots. Traditional firing techniques solidify the pottery and designs which result in an egg white surface decorated with black and ochre/burnt orange patterns which tell a story or give identity to family designs.

Varieties of natural clay pottery decorated with natural pigments being sold by Acoma potters

Pottery has been found over the years across lands which were once occupied by the Pueblo people. Many design elements found on theses centuries old artifacts are still used in the practice today. “I feel that my path in engineering combined with my artistic vision have placed me in a role to observe and preserve our culture through new practices,” says Loren. “Over the years of being an artist, I’ve generated my own design styles and sought ways to incorporate our ancestral patterns as an homage to my ancestry. I am grateful that my journey has brought me to fashion design as a new way to express and share the beauty of the Acoma people.”

ACONAV fashion utilizing original geometric patterns and a traditional color scheme

For centuries the pottery art was created for utilitarian purposes within the community and used to trade with other tribes and later with explorers and settlers. Today the art carries on with the talents of many from the Acoma Pueblo. Acoma pottery continues to be a high end collector item all throughout the world. Today more and more artists venture outside of the traditional art to explore new artistic paths. ACONAV leads the way in fashion with the application of traditional elements from pottery art and beyond. “As ACONAV continues to grow so does the culturally fueled inspiration which spans pottery art, stories, and beliefs which I feel unite us with the rest of the world,” tells Aragon. “When ACONAV was conceived, it was my goal to inspire our younger generations to look to our culture for inspiration and find other ways to preserve and embrace our existence in the modern world.”