hasta la raíz
hasta la raíz

Category

Design & Research

Type of project

Costume Design, Erasmus+

Client

Associazione Wonderland, Fundación Escuela de Solidaridad

Year

2025

Collaboration

Marta Conesa Molina, Magda

A symbolic costume for social performance

"Hasta la Raíz" was a one-week costume design workshop held in Ferrara, Italy, as part of an Erasmus+ mobility Youth Exchange. The goal was to create three conceptual costumes inspired by the future theme of the Krearte Festival 2026: Hasta la Raíz ("Until the Root"), an annual social art festival in Granada, Spain. The costumes were conceived to be performed during the festival parade, where community groups express social messages through collective movement, street theatre, and performing arts.

A symbolic costume for social performance

"Hasta la Raíz" was a one-week costume design workshop held in Ferrara, Italy, as part of an Erasmus+ mobility Youth Exchange. The goal was to create three conceptual costumes inspired by the future theme of the Krearte Festival 2026: Hasta la Raíz ("Until the Root"), an annual social art festival in Granada, Spain. The costumes were conceived to be performed during the festival parade, where community groups express social messages through collective movement, street theatre, and performing arts.

The process

The process

Our group began with an inspirational research phase, visiting historical fashion archives, exhibitions, and museums showcasing the work of iconic Italian filmmakers like Fellini and Antonioni. This immersive exploration allowed us to draw from the rich language of Italian cinema and theatrical costume. From there, we engaged in brainstorming sessions to interpret the meaning of “Hasta la Raíz" exploring personal and collective imagery associated with roots, identity, and transformation. We then developed a conceptual character and made a costume that would convey this symbolism through layered textile design.

The Matryoshka Doll

The Matryoshka Doll

The concept developed was inspired by the metaphor of a matryoshka doll, representing a journey inward toward one’s deepest self. The costume is composed of three layers, each symbolizing a level of identity:

  • a cape adorned with multicolored fabric flowers, representing the visible and external self: vibrant, expressive, and easy to shed;

  • a long brown dress with yarn bundles stitched onto its surface, evoking the trunk and symbolizing the inner world that carries memory and experience;

  • a nude-toned bodysuit embroidered with root-like cotton threads, embodying the intimate and essential self.

All three garments were designed to be worn simultaneously and gradually removed during the performance, suggesting that reaching the root requires time, vulnerability, and human connection. The costumes were created using second-hand fabrics, yarn, and repurposed textiles, in line with the festival’s sustainable ethics.

The concept developed was inspired by the metaphor of a matryoshka doll, representing a journey inward toward one’s deepest self. The costume is composed of three layers, each symbolizing a level of identity:

  • a cape adorned with multicolored fabric flowers, representing the visible and external self: vibrant, expressive, and easy to shed;

  • a long brown dress with yarn bundles stitched onto its surface, evoking the trunk and symbolizing the inner world that carries memory and experience;

  • a nude-toned bodysuit embroidered with root-like cotton threads, embodying the intimate and essential self.

All three garments were designed to be worn simultaneously and gradually removed during the performance, suggesting that reaching the root requires time, vulnerability, and human connection. The costumes were created using second-hand fabrics, yarn, and repurposed textiles, in line with the festival’s sustainable ethics.

The concept developed was inspired by the metaphor of a matryoshka doll, representing a journey inward toward one’s deepest self. The costume is composed of three layers, each symbolizing a level of identity:

  • a cape adorned with multicolored fabric flowers, representing the visible and external self: vibrant, expressive, and easy to shed;

  • a long brown dress with yarn bundles stitched onto its surface, evoking the trunk and symbolizing the inner world that carries memory and experience;

  • a nude-toned bodysuit embroidered with root-like cotton threads, embodying the intimate and essential self.

All three garments were designed to be worn simultaneously and gradually removed during the performance, suggesting that reaching the root requires time, vulnerability, and human connection. The costumes were created using second-hand fabrics, yarn, and repurposed textiles, in line with the festival’s sustainable ethics.

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© 2026 / Valentina Guadagno

© 2026 / Valentina Guadagno

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