Today’s post is a very special one as I had the chance to interview Mexican brand, Corazón Chiapaneco, as part of our ongoing collab. In this interview you’ll learn about the brand’s background, their use of fabrics, their artisans and their plans for the future.

As part of the Latin community in the UK, I got really excited to work with a Latin brand for the first time since I left Argentina. Then, when I researched Corazón Chiapaneco and learnt that it’s an ethical, eco-friendly and cruelty-free brand, I knew I wanted to make something special for them. That’s how we got the idea for this interview, especially now that they’re entering the UK market.

For this collab, I kindly received a handmade wallet which was made by using the back strap loom technique. The gorgeous floral embroidery was then drawn into the base and completed by the machine embroidery technique to weave them in and create that beautiful flower canvas.

Inside, it counts with two big slots (where you can fit for your phone), 10 card slots, and a zip pocket. Quality is stunning and I deeply admire the craftmanship behind the embroidery. There’s also a cute little black tassel detail that I find super lovely.

The following is my interview with Corazón Chiapaneco, I hope you get to know them, their mission, and their aesthetic after reading this. Enjoy!

What was the inspiration to create Corazon Chiapaneco?

Corazón Chiapaneco was born in 2015 of the hand of a Mexican entrepreneur, Tanya Zavaleta and by the great love that she has to her native Chiapas’ state and her respect and admiration for all the work done by local artisans, which create amazing crafts full of tradition, significance and creativity.

Corazón Chiapaneco was conceived under the premise to preserve the ancient Mayan heritage (Chiapas is one of the Mexican territories were the Mayan culture was established and flourished); May their embroideries continue to live among us and at the same time be valued to continue helping our Mexican artisans.

The idea to bring Corazon Chiapaneco to UK, came from 2 Mexican women and entrepreneurs, Elba and Haydee, which not just shared their love and pride for Mexican and Mayan culture and its ancestral heritage, but whom also share and celebrates a 40-year-old friendship.

What steps is Corazon Chiapaneco taking to ensure the brand operates as ethically as possible?

Corazón Chiapaneco’s project is built on 2 main pillars: sustainability and fair trade, and operates under 4 values:

  • Respect: to the artisans, their traditions and the environment. All the designs are 100% handmade and are exclusively the result of the artisan creativity and expression of their Mayan traditions and beliefs; Also, in Corazón Chiapaneco we are NOT in favour of animal abuse. That is why we ensure that only organic fibres (cotton) are used as well as modified textile materials made of polymers (processed fibres), very resistant and of the highest quality.
  • Union and Solidarity: through a fair-trade relationship with the local embroidery artisans and all the local supply chain around the creation of each craft design, to develop and enhance their and their community’s economy, and;
  • Pride: of our Mexican and Maya’s heritage and culture which we aim to preserve while sharing to the world.
How would you describe Chiapas’ style to people who never visited the region before?

The Mayan ancestral wisdom of the native people of Chiapas has been and continues to be expressed in various ways and it is present in their live experiences, rituals, music and dances, food and TEXTILES. The weaving and embroidery in the Mayan indigenous textiles represent a rich, complex, and beautiful language that has allowed our people to preserve a significant part of their knowledge.

Mayan textile art evolves creatively in the field of current reality and its representations contain ancient myths and presences, as well as innovations that are based on old designs. Through recreation, textile artisans play with the symbols of their representations, in a playful adventure that takes them from past to present and vice versa, in a universe populated by suns and stars, saints, toads and flowers, sacred trees, monkeys and worms, buzzards and swallows, snakes and plants, an imaginary that celebrates the Mayan’s worldview, inventing a syncretism of life.

The skilful hands of the weavers not only produce beautiful designs: they speak and sing through their symbols full of meaning. It is absolutely wonderful to know what lays behind each stroke, each colour, each line and each motif.

Which accessories are the brand’s best sellers?

It is difficult to narrow this to a few crafts since all of them are equally appreciated plus they are very easy to wear and combine regardless the country/city people are living in. Nonetheless, medium size handbags, ponchos (the more colourful, the better!) and the hats have been proven to be people’s favourite choices!

Does Corazon Chiapaneco plan to expand other countries in the future?

Since 2015, Corazon Chiapaneco has been growing at an accelerated pace and so far, the project operates with several distributors all across the Mexican Republic, but also overseas, having some distributors located in North America and Europe. As we mention, Corazon Chiapaneco wants to bring brings the talent of artisans from Mexico to the whole world, and UK Corazon Chiapaneco is committed to bring that purpose to life, so yes, definitely we would like to expand the project in the future!

If you want to know more about Corazón Chiapaneco, visit their website or follow them on Instagram!

xoxo

Deb