Dominique McDonnell-Palomares

Crafted Stories is a documentary dedicated to platforming the preservation of craft and the community created through its intrinsic connotations with heritage, sustainability and generational exchange. It demonstrates how craft does not merely concern the composition of an item but rather is a powerful, age-old tool that can lead the fashion industry towards a conscious future whilst reviving the hand skills that are fading away. 

To share this story, Crafted Stories follows Mariana Leyva, a Mexican natural dyer who collaborates with Silvia Acién, a Spanish knitwear designer who not only commits to regenerative processes but also preserves a traditional weaving technique taught by her grandma. They retrace their creative roots to their upbringing in their respective countries and share why and how they are reviving traditional techniques in their practice today. They demonstrate how both craft and sustainability go hand-in-hand and are intrinsically a way of life. Their journey and work reveal how craft is still relevant and why now, more than ever, it’s crucial that we keep these alive.

Crafted Stories is an urgent response to craft’s current endangered state and today’s accelerated rhythms that are bringing us closer towards the climate crisis. Silvia and Mariana demonstrate how the fashion industry can be an impactful force for change.