Aztecs on the runway

Fashion show benefit Aztec fashion show Sat, July 14, 3pm Teatro Santa Ana Biblioteca Pública Reloj 50A 150 pesos

That’s right! An ancient Aztec fashion show. The Aztecs who ruled central Mexico at the time the Spanish arrived probably never staged a fashion show. But if we were curious about what the Aztecs wore, attending an Aztec fashion show might be a good way to learn something about it. The Aztecs had a kind of “dress code;” you could tell a person’s status in the society by what they wore. Several illustrated post-conquest books made by Aztecs reveal to us how the people attired themselves. These books are the basis of the “Aztec Fashion Show” to be presented at Teatro Santa Ana on Saturday, July 14. Professor Guillermo Mendez, Biblioteca lecturer on the ancient cultures of Mesoamerica, did the research for the show.

The show begins with the common person’s attire, both male and female. For the men this consisted of a loincloth and mantel; the women wore a huipil and skirt. Two warriors in battle garb follow, one in a jaguar outfit, the other wearing the traditional cotton quilt “armor” which could stop an arrow.

A judge and noble woman are next, followed by an Aztec priest, who never had a “bad hair day,” because subsequent to becoming priests they never cut, washed or combed their hair. The sacred is, of course, followed by the profane, that is a “courtesan” follows the priest. Two military “comandantes” conclude the show which also will have a continuous narration by Professor Méndez, live pre-Hispanic music, and digital big screen images-all adding up to a kind of ancient Aztec concert, fashion show spectacular. Great efforts have been made to achieve authenticity, and it is probably the first time anything like this has been attempted in Mexico, or for that matter, anywhere else in the world.

All of this benefits the Biblioteca’s Workshop in “Pre-Hispanic Music for Young People.” This program invites Mexican children to learn how to play the musical instruments of their ancestors. The proceeds will fund the program which, like all Biblioteca programs, is offered to the Mexican children free of charge. Tickets are on sale at the theater box office.