French-Colombian designer Sylvia Toth’s fashion line, WARMI, blends tradition with modernity by interpreting Latin American folk craftsmanship with a European flair. Launched in 2008, every WARMI collection is entirely handcrafted by women weavers of the Colombian villages of Tausa and Sutatausa. Each handmade item is numbered and signed by the artisan who made it. Their traditional, meticulous techniques result in whimsical garment and accessories collections where “every piece has a particular aura, charged with the soul of the weavers.”

Born in Colombia, Toth is now Paris-based, though she makes frequent trips back to Colombia. A child of two cultures, her dual-identity serves an inspiration for what is ultimately a very personal brand, and one that bridges her cultural backgrounds. “In Paris, I’m at the center of information, arts, culture…that’s where I create,” Toth says. “Bogota is the city where everything is possible, a rich mixture of modern architecture, blue mountains, misery, wealth and the bizarre. A place where people always wear a smile… This is where I recharge my batteries and produce my creations, shoulder to shoulder with the artisans.”

The word WARMI means “woman” in Quechua, one of the last indigenous languages that still exists in the Andean region. Describing the brand, Toth shares, “WARMI is not only a tribute to women – as artisans, a life force and the ultimate creators – but also to the tradition of a craft and ancestral ‘savoir faire’ from a culture that is fading away.”

For each new collection, Toth is inspired by everything from classical art to the streets. “I am very inspired by medieval art, especially the animal representations found in the ‘Bestiaires.’ I love their mythical and ‘brut’ dimension,” she says. And her list of varied inspirations goes on. “All the work done by the naïf painters: Seraphine, Douanier Rousseau. Their primitive yet very modern vision! Or in a more contemporary scene, Walton Ford. The Colombian popular culture is very inspiring too… a kind of surreal POP-FOLK! An indigene, African and catholic syncretism…In fashion I love the work of Nicolas Ghesquière or Muccia Prada for Miumiu.”

Currently, Toth is working on a series of prints inspired by Jean Cocteau’s drawings, and enjoying the power of Frida Khalo’s work.

Check out highlights from WARMI’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection below, named “Delices,” the French word for “Pleasure of a great subtilité and intensity.” This playful knit collection reflects Toth’s signature talent for combining modern elements with classic imagery and folklore, and, according to Toth, expresses a desire to find the divine condition. Featuring Eden-like figures – a bird, a peacock, a serpent – “Delices” calls to mind Eve’s grace period before the fall…

*All images courtesy of WARMI.
For more information, visit warmi.fr.