The Bolivian ‘Polleras’,
bulky skirts commonly associated with the indigenous women from the highlands,
were for decades a symbol of uniqueness but also an object of discrimination.
Now, a new generation of women skateboarders in Cochabamba,
the country’s third largest city, wears them as a piece of resistance.
“I got touched by the radical change of stronger colours, I felt like an empowered woman with the will power to go out and shine, proud of wearing a pollera.”
"It’s not only about wearing the pollera outfit, it’s also about getting better in the sport, making new manoeuvres. We started as regular skateboarders, with time we had this idea about dressing up like cholitas because it identifies us, nowadays it is a fusion of both things. Skateboarding for me is about progress in my life”
Inspired by the report published in The Guardian, with text and photography by Luiza Dörr,
I made this series of illustrations. For this work I chose strong colors that convey the feelings
of the Polleras. Moreover, I used digital techniques that refer to traditional media.
