Celina Paiz of La Selva: A Clothing Line Conceived in a Dream Becomes a Reality
For Paiz, the transition from dream to reality was facilitated by the fact that she already had a medium in mind: the traditional, hand-woven textiles of her native Guatemala. “I already had a closet full of fabrics that I had collected for years throughout my traveling,” Paiz says. “These fabrics are all my memories collected.” The beauty of these textiles—each one different from the next, a vibrant jungle (la selva means “the jungle” in Spanish) of color and lines and embroidered designs—is as staggering as the variety on display from fabric to fabric. And although Paiz does reference traditional Guatemalan designs, she’s also just as likely to create a dress inspired by Wim Wenders’s Paris, Texas. “A lot of my designs were inspired by the things around me, and, of course, by memories of things that happened,” Paiz says. “I want each design to mean something in your life. Like, this one”—Paiz laughs and holds up a brightly colored halter dress with a full skirt—“my friend says is the dress you lose your virginity in. These are the clothes you hold onto forever and pass down.”
Photo by Austin McAllister