Brazilian Amazon

CRU — Reconnecting With Nature

I spent ten days living in the Amazon rainforest—learning directly from its materials, its makers, and the environment itself rather than from secondary sources. CRU (Portuguese for "raw") grew out of a single question: how do we reconnect with nature in an age that constantly pulls us further from it?

The collection is built almost entirely from natural, traditionally-worked Amazonian materials—Pirarucu fish leather, raffia, tagua nut, and hand-spun, hand-dyed yarns. Each piece draws its form from the rainforest itself: bags and accessories shaped after banana tree leaves, banana flowers, and Vitória Régia lily pads, translating organic structures into functional, sculptural objects.

Beyond the design work, the project rests on a foundation of sustainability and respect. Pirarucu skin is a byproduct of regulated fishing that helps protect the species from over-harvesting, and the traditional weaving and beading techniques were learned in collaboration with local artisans—centring their craft rather than appropriating it.

The result is a body of work that is raw in both material and intention: a tactile, emotional argument for slowing down, reconnecting with the natural world, and remembering where the things we make truly come from.