Estrafalario
“From Prison to Catwalk, Fashion as a Second Chance”
Made in assignment for Estrafalario
2025
I have always believed that photography is a bridge between worlds, a way to give a voice to stories that would otherwise remain in the shadows. This principle guided me in my latest project in Peru, a collaboration with Estrafalario, an ethical fashion brand that trains and employs women detained in the Chorrillos women's prison in Lima. My goal was not just to carry out the campaign they entrusted to me, but to use fashion, craftsmanship, and style as tools for rebirth and social redemption.
I divided the work into two parts, seeking to explore a border territory where the rigorous reality of reportage could coexist with the imaginary of fashion. The first phase took me inside the prison walls, to capture the faces, hands, and stories of the women who, amid the hum of sewing machines, are finding a new purpose. The second phase was a true editorial shoot, where the clothes they created became a testament to a newfound freedom.
At the heart of this narrative is the story of Patt. The air inside the prison is thick with the constant whir of sewing machines. It was here, years ago, that Patt first picked up a needle. Born in Thailand, she arrived in Peru out of desperation, carrying drugs. Arrested at the airport, alone, and speaking almost no Spanish, she became invisible among hundreds of women. For years, her life was one of silence and survival.
Everything changed the day she met Valery and her project inside the prison. Patt learned to turn scraps of fabric into carefully made clothes, letting her hands speak when words were not enough. By working closely with the other inmates, she began to learn Spanish, finding not only an occupation but also a way to integrate and overcome her loneliness. What started as a lifeline gradually became her identity.
After eight years of working for Estrafalario from inside the prison, she was released. The brand offered her a stable job, a home, and accompanied her step-by-step in her reintegration. Patt decided to stay in Peru, and the job gave her a residence permit, allowing her to start a new life in the country where she had ended up in prison and was only passing through.
Today, she is a permanent employee of the brand, but her story didn’t end there. With strength and determination, she returned to that same prison, not as an inmate, but as an example. In the workshop that once saved her life, she now works side by side with the women who are still serving their sentences, showing them that a different future is possible.
Every Estrafalario garment holds a story of redemption. Handmade with upcycling techniques, sustainable materials, and a design that blends Peruvian craftsmanship with contemporary urban aesthetics, these clothes are a testament to a new identity. The brand's collections have made it to Paris Fashion Week and New York, but the real stage is inside those walls, in a place where fashion is not luxury, but freedom. Patt's story is an act of quiet resistance and feminine strength. Every stitch heals a wound, a thread connecting the past to a possible future.
