Sioduhi Waíkhᵾn is reshaping the relationship between Indigenous knowledge and global fashion’s history of extraction. A member of the Pira-tapuya community from the Alto Rio Negro region (which is in the northwestern reaches of Brazil’s Amazonas state), he launched his fashion brand Sioduhi Studio as both a creative practice and a tool of resistance. He blends traditional Amazonian materials with contemporary design while creating opportunities for local communities who have long been excluded from the fashion system.
His work is rooted in collaboration: accessories and garments are created alongside local artisans, including his own aunt and cousin, using fibres from native tucum palms. He also developed maniocolor, a natural textile dye derived from cassava bark. Beyond design, he shares his business acumen — including knowledge on pricing, branding and production — with Indigenous makers. While fashion has long marginalised communities like his, Waíkhᵾn is making sure Indigenous creativity is met with visibility, agency and value.
What change in the industry do you most want to help promote, and why?
Sharing stories, technologies, and knowledge that are not recorded in fashion books. About humans and non-humans. Showing, beyond aesthetics, the importance of collective thinking.
What is the biggest obstacle to realising your vision?
The main obstacle is the industry’s lack of basic knowledge about Indigenous peoples and its general reluctance to do the necessary research, especially in communication and creation.
What misconceptions do people have about your work?
People think I’m going to stick to the imaginary colonial stereotype, but I shake things up a bit, especially when I present collections that embody the spirit of Indigenous Futurism. We are alive, and our technologies and languages have survived to this day.
What’s one decision that changed everything for you in business?
I left Brazil’s main fashion hubs to return to my home in the Amazon. My purpose was to work with my community and tell more authentic histories. Now based in Manaus, I feel I’m making a regional, national and international impact.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to the next wave of innovators in your field?
Understanding that the fashion industry is a collective chain. We do nothing alone. Although it is challenging to balance the rational and the emotional, we are here to design other possible paths for the future of fashion.
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