Banzo Is A Deconstructionist’s Dream
Banzo, a hand-made and sustainable label, is quietly emerging in Mexico’s indie scene. Camille Banzo, an alum of the New School of Arts in Milan, founded the company in 2021. In the midst of selling clothes on her vintage shop la vintaJe, Camille Banzo realized she could construct one-of-a-kind pieces. So she got to work, a used garment in one hand and a sewing machine in another.
Banzo: The Brand
Vintage normally indicates a lost glamor but Banzo focuses on the mundane and the beauty of everyday life. On its website, the brand states they prize garments that, “will tell a story or have one to tell.” Camille Bazo isn’t just selling you a piece of clothing, rather a lifestyle. One that is constructed by the everyday happenings in Mexico City. She uses accessible materials like denim or ordinary garments like a shirt or a paisley shawl in her work. With the stories of everyday people in the city, she reconstructs an original piece and binds them and the customer together.
One of her most popular pieces is the Apron Blazer, a reinterpretation of the apron Mexican women across the country wear. Pieced together with cutouts and ribbons that snake through the holes, it is a wardrobe staple. Another play on masculinity and femininity appears with the Gorget Shirt. The up-cycled shirt is long sleeved with ruffled collars and a boxy fit which renders it virtually genderless.
Banzo is an exclusively online retailer and the store only sells a handful of pieces. The store’s sustainability efforts come into play with this model. They only sell what customers want, which means less overconsumption and waste of resources. But this newcomer has made waves in its short time in the fashion industry. Its popularity is only growing and the pieces are selling out everyday. As it moves forward, there is no telling what Camille Banzo will create next.
Image Via Banzo Website
Featured Image Via Banzo Instagram