By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — As Guyana observes Indigenous Heritage Month, local creative entrepreneurs are leveraging traditional craftsmanship to preserve and celebrate the nation’s ancestral heritage. Leading this movement is proud Warao designer and artisan Natasha Livingstone—widely known as Natasha David—founder and owner of Tasha Creative Designs, who has turned an early passion for handmade dolls into an established fashion and lifestyle brand centered on authentic Indigenous attire, jewelry, and ceremonial costumes.
Hailing originally from the border community of Imbotero in Region One (Barima-Waini), Livingstone has spent over a decade translating traditional Warao weaving, raw natural fiber harvesting, and cultural symbolism into wearable art designed for everyday appreciation well beyond ceremonial pageant runways.
The Creative Evolution: From Handmade Dolls to Mainstream Apparel
Livingstone’s artistic journey began modestly in 2009, crafting intricate handmade dolls dressed in traditional Amerindian garments:
- Expanding into Pageantry: By 2014, her technical dexterity caught the attention of regional cultural organizers, expanding her craft into custom gowns, headdresses, and accessories for national Indigenous pageants and cultural exhibitions.
- School & Everyday Demand: The watershed moment arrived when schools and civic institutions began actively participating in Amerindian Heritage Month dress days, prompting a surge in custom orders from urban households.
- Transition to Full Collections: Recognizing that Guyanese desired to wear authentic garments throughout the year, Livingstone pivoted her business model to produce bespoke clothing, ready-to-wear casual accessories, and commercial jewelry.
“When I realized is when they used to like the Indigenous wear to school and so, was on the demand, people start ordering,” Livingstone told HGP Nightly News. “So I decide, okay, I will stick to the Indigenous wear. And it worked out very nice.”
Sourcing from the Forest: Tibisiri, Straw, and Natural Fibers
A hallmark of Tasha Creative Designs is an unwavering commitment to authentic, community-based material sourcing:
- Community Supply Chains: Raw materials are harvested directly by Indigenous harvesters within interior communities, sustaining forest-based micro-economies.
- Warao Weaving Traditions: Drawing upon her ancestral heritage, Livingstone primarily works with Tibisiri (moriche palm fiber) and natural wild straw—long recognized as the core textiles of Warao clothing and craft—blended with natural cotton and structural fibers.
- Diverse Product Range: Her current portfolio features complete woven outfits, ceremonial headdresses with ethically gathered wild feathers, traditional woven baskets, hand-beaded necklaces, and delicate Tibisiri drop earrings.
- Formal Fine Arts Pedigree: Beyond traditional inherited family knowledge, Livingstone is a formally trained visual artist and certified sculptor through the E.R. Burrowes School of Art, infusing disciplined structural technique into her woven silhouettes.
“Warau, they normally use the straw, which is the clothing, and I use the Tibisiri. I do the outfit, I do the basket, I do earrings,” Livingstone explained. “I use the nylon, I use the cotton, because I try to go with the Indigenous things… we use a lot of cotton.”
Cultural Preservation and Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer
For Livingstone, fashion design is fundamentally an instrument of cultural survival. With younger generations increasingly exposed to globalized digital media and western apparel, she views the continued visibility of Amerindian craftsmanship as essential to maintaining indigenous identity:
- Youth Heritage Education: She emphasizes that every woven piece worn in public serves as a conversational bridge, prompting youth to ask questions about the significance of palm harvesting, natural dyeing, and tribal basketry.
- Pride in Cultural Identity: Livingstone urged all Indigenous communities across Guyana’s administrative regions to proudly display their ancestral culture and pass down intricate craft skills to prevent ancient weaving techniques from fading.
“I would advise every community to just showcase the culture and be proud of it,” Livingstone concluded. “Because teaching the young ones our culture is very important. Teach others about it.”
For individuals seeking bespoke handmade Indigenous clothing, pageantry regalia, and authentic accessories, Tasha Creative Designs can be contacted directly via WhatsApp and mobile at +592 681-0637.
