Panel Discussion: Threads of Resistance – Collaboration, Identity, and the Politics of Design

This session brings together a powerful group of voices working at the intersection of fashion, Indigenous rights, and climate justice. From high-fashion collaborations with Indigenous communities in the Amazon to grassroots activism and inclusive design education, the panel will explore how fashion can become a medium of resistance, cultural resilience, and regeneration.

Speakers will share insights from partnerships between major fashion houses and Ashaninka artisans, Indigenous-led storytelling that challenges extractive narratives, and educational models that prioritize equity and intercultural collaboration. The conversation will critically examine who gets to participate in shaping sustainable futures — and how design can be a tool for rebalancing power, land, and voice.

Topics include:

• Fashion as a platform for Indigenous sovereignty and visibility
• Ethical frameworks for collaboration between brands and traditional communities
• Education as a site of transformation for sustainability and inclusion
• Challenging colonial legacies through creative and cultural agency

This panel invites us to imagine fashion not as a product of consumption, but as a process of connection — one that honors the wisdom of ancestral cultures while shaping more just and inclusive futures.

Mediator: Lilian Pacce – BCFT Curator & Journalist

Speakers:

• Renata Piazzon – Executive Director, Instituto Arapyau
• Samela Satere Mawe – Indigenous activist and communicator
• Cameron Saul – CEO & Creative Director, Bottletop & Togetherband