Cashaca

It’s 1800 on the island of Aruba. Hardworking women, farmers and fishermen wear the cashaca: a straight-cut shirt made from coarse fabric or left-over flour bags. In ‘Cashaca’, Quiana Cronie revives the native people’s resourceful tradition for the 21st century. Back then, they upcycled out of poverty and necessity; now, it’s out of respect for the planet, using cotton tablecloths salvaged from hotels in the local tourist industry. Photographed in historic locations, the collection is further supported by ‘The Local Archive Aruba’, an online resource that shares stories about traditional Aruban clothing. In learning from local heritage, ‘Cashaca’ is a lesson in sustainable patterns of use. Or, as Arubans would put it, “to eat the flour and wear the bag”.