THE LOWDOWN
GAUCHO GOODNESS
Victoria Aguirre, photographer and co-founder of the Byron Bay-based homewares brand Pampa, on the reinvention of the humble poncho into the ultimate travel accessory.
WHAT WAS THE MOTIVATION BEHIND LAUNCHING A PONCHO AND SCARF RANGE? We’ve always been big fans of ponchos, which are worn throughout South America. (We even named our Labrador puppy Poncho!) I’m from Argentina where ponchos are part of our heritage. Many families keep old ponchos that once belonged to a grandparent as keepsakes, or admire the traditional ponchos that the ‘gauchos’, Argentinean cowboys, have worn since before memory can recall. Since starting Pampa in 2013, I have travelled all through the Andean mountains. The artisans we meet in the Puna region are always wearing ponchos for warmth and I’ve often thought: “Why not bring a modern version of these garments to Australia to match the winter lifestyle here?”
Before the Spanish conquest in Argentina and South America, aboriginal people made refined clothing
