AIC 53rd Annual Meeting

Pedro Loredo (1923-2010) was a Mexican fashion designer who stood out for his distinctive style that drew heavily on Mexico’s pre-Hispanic heritage, incorporating elements like Mitla architecture and Mexica designs. Named "ambassador of Mexican fashion to the world” he created a collection of over five hundred dresses, as well as designed costumes for Mexican talk shows, movies, and “telenovelas.” After his passing, these costumes were safeguarded by his sons, Tonatiuh and Pedro Loredo, who cherished them as a testament to their father’s legacy. Our connection with them began with treatment on one of the dresses during our college years and continued with the Loredo family's plan to write a book about his life and work.

Since that moment, our collaboration transformed the conservation project into a shared journey of discovery. Their insight, as knowledge keepers, into the designer's life was a guide for our work as conservators. Through this project, we demonstrated how facing the unknown together—through open communication and nourishing relationships—can lead to more meaningful conservation outcomes.  The conservation proposal for "The Pedro Loredo Costume Collection,” includes the creation of a survey form addressing the condition report, the characterization of the collection, and an assessment of the storage location.

The proposal was based on a “Systems Approach” methodology that examines interactions between the Collection, Space, Operators, and Users. Documenting the collection and uncovering its scope, variety, and condition, which had been unknown for years. The proposal also involved cataloging the costume collection, assessing the condition of the storage space, and conducting discussions and interviews with conservators, photographers, fashion historians, and the knowledge keepers.This model, focused on human aspects, helps us to identify key areas for maintaining the collection and collaborating in more enriched ways with our professional experience as conservators.

During this process, we recognized the value of building a relationship with the owners to reconstruct the history of the collection and detect priorities. Understanding the deep personal and historical significance of the collection through interviews and listening to their stories, we were able to make better-informed decisions throughout the conservation project. These narratives not only enriched our approach to Pedro Loredo's work but also allowed us to reconstruct a significant period in the history of Mexican fashion, and to highlight the need for specialized conservation efforts in this field.