Dyers Weave Poncho

Form follows function. No buttons, no fastenings, no sizes.

We crossed the Atlantic and travelled back in time. To the time of the Mapuche, who wore the poncho against the southern wind, through the pre-Inca cultures where its colours and patterns signalled status and belief, to the Incas, already weaving it with sophistication. The Spanish, too, during colonisation, recognised its usefulness for riding.

It reached the spaghetti westerns of the 20th century, and many catwalks in the 1970s. In Portugal, in the Serra de Montemuro, it took on the body of a burel to withstand the harshness of the rain. It is this legacy of protection and freedom that As Capuchinhas preserve.

With respect for tradition and for nature, As Capuchinhas recreated this piece using the recycling technique of linen and natural dyes from walnut and lichen, from their village in Campo Benfeito. Due to the organic, hand-dyeing process, each poncho shows unique colour nuances. No two pieces are alike - nature dictates the final shade.

This poncho has knitted mesh at the collar, cuffs, pocket and hood, with suede and burel details. Everything made by hand in the workshop. It is a piece with memory, uniting the thermal freshness of linen with a rustic, contemporary aesthetic and a deep respect for nature. For sustainability.

With their workshop in Campo Benfeito – a small village in the Serra de Montemuro – As Capuchinhas produce clothing in burel, linen and wool, using hand looms and traditional techniques. With design signed by Paula Caria.