The Diplomat
The Asociación de Diplomáticos Extranjeros (ADE) and The Diplomat in Spain collaborated last Thursday in the event Hecho en Ecuador, held last Thursday at the Centro Cultural Ecuatoriano in Madrid and organised by the Embassy of Ecuador.
Diplomats from various countries around the world, specialised press and personalities from the institutional and cultural spheres took part in this event, in which a
round thirty models of this elegant summer accessory, hand-woven by Ecuadorian artisans, were exhibited.
The origin, history and worldwide popularisation of the toquilla straw hat was the central theme of the event, which was attended by the ambassadors of Monaco and Panama, as well as representatives of various diplomatic delegations, who accompanied the Ecuadorian ambassador, Andrés Vallejo. “This popular complement, of Ecuadorian origin, said the Ecuadorian ambassador, was recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Heritage of Humanity on 5 December 2012. In the last third of the 19th century, around 500,000 hats were exported each year from Ecuador to Europe. With the construction of the Panama Canal, this demand intensified, as workers and personalities, such as former President Roosevelt, wore them. The press called it ‘panama hat’, although its origin is Ecuadorian,” he said.
The ambassador also pointed out that “the hat arrived in Europe in the 17th century as a substitute for cloth hats, as a result of a drop in cotton production. Its demand intensified in the 19th century, a period in which the artisans of Montecristi were joined by weavers from the provinces of Azuay and Cañar, a period known as the “toquillero boom”.
The models on display at the event are part of the summer collection of Colibrí Hats and Panamá hat-Ecuadorian Brand, two prestigious firms that distribute these hats in Spain. Ekatarina Nesterova and Liliam Heras, founders of the aforementioned brands, agreed that when customers know the history, tradition and hours of work involved in each hat, they value the product much more.
During the event, the attendees tasted snacks of Ecuadorian coastal gastronomy, courtesy of the restaurant La Toquilla, paired with Valdesil de Godello wine courtesy of Gen Group Corp, while enjoying the interpretation, on Spanish guitar, of hits by the Ecuadorian artist Rubén Moreno and the Spanish artist Marian Tur.
