Recently in the media, major fashion brands have been called out by consumers for referring to the huipil as a “kaftan” and in certain cases, not giving credit to the origin of the garment and artisans who made them.
Many of you have asked us where you can purchase huipiles and other Mexican textiles from trustworthy and reputable businesses that also honor the traditions of this pre-Hispanic garment.
Thanks to our amiga Ana Paula Fuentes––who works closely with Oaxacan artisans and who has studied the importance of these pre-Hispanic customs––we can now share 13 Mexican shops that pay fairly, are respectable, and can ship to the United States.
To learn more about the huipil and why you shouldn’t call it a “kaftan,” make sure to read our interview with Ana Paula here.
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13 Mexican Shops Where You Can Purchase a Huipil & Other Mexican Textiles
This group of artisans weaves Mixtec designs (which represent the flora and fauna of their community) using a backstrap loom, organic materials, natural dyes, and native cotton.
When people support Yooita, they support the artisans directly and their community.
- Location: San Juan Colorado, Oaxaca
- Whatsapp:+52 1 954 160 1038
- Instagram: @Artesanas_Ancestrales_Yooita
2. Coyuchi San Juan Colorado
This collective of indigenous women from San Juan Colorado rescues and preserves wild coyuchi cotton and spin and weaves garments using natural dyes.
When people support Coyuchi, they support the artisans directly and their community.
- Location: San Juan Colorado, Oaxaca
- Instagram: @Coyuchi.San.Juan.Colorado
3. Fabrica Social
Fabrica Social works directly with female artisans from Mexico to create contemporary clothing for women.
Their main mission is to collaborate with indigenous artisans to create one-of-a-kind pieces.
“We are a platform that disseminates, promotes, and encourages indigenous artisans. Each piece is unique and unrepeatable,” they said via Instagram direct message.
As an organization that has been around for 14 years, Fabrica Social continues to motivate artisans to take risks and experiment when designing.
- Instagram: @FabricaSocial
This Mexican textile clothing company has stores in San Pedro Cholula, Puebla and offers worldwide shipping.
La Monarca collaborates with artisans from all over Mexico and carries items such as leather huaraches, home textiles, and pre-Hispanic garments.
- Location: San Pedro Cholula, Puebla
- Whatsapp: +52 1 221 430 7574
- Instagram: @LaMonarcaMexico
5. Lil del Toro
Liliana del Toro is a Oaxacan fashion designer who specializes in working with traditional Oaxacan embroiderers.
- Location: Oaxaca, Mexico
- Instagram: @LildelToro
Mariana Grapain is a fashion designer located in Oaxaca, Mexico who specializes in preserving traditional textile designs, iconography, and embroidery techniques.
- Whatsapp: +52 1 55 2899 2936
- Instagram: @MarianaGrapain
Fashion designer, Monsterrat Rodríguez Zardain, strives to capture art and culture of Oaxaca through contemporary designs made for women.
“I am proudly Mexican, I believe that Mexico has a unique culture and history. You can create fashion by also paying tribute to our roots,” she states on her website.
- Instagram: @Mserrat
8. Ñaa Ñanga
Ñaa Ñanga, which means 'creative women' in the Mixtec language, is a collective of 40 women who embroider textile garments inspired by the cultural traditions of San Pablo Tijaltepec.
They use an embroidery technique called “pepenado gathered,” which originally derived from the Spanish and is also known as the “smock technique.”
In addition to using the smock technique, Ñaa Ñanga incorporates elements, symbols, and iconography of Pre-Hispanic origins into each of the fabrics of their designs. These images include deer, birds, double-headed eagles, flowers, representations of corn, planting fields, mountains, and other natural motifs which symbolize the positive and negative aspects of life.
Currently, this collective is working to create contemporary pieces using the same iconography their grandmothers used during the 70s and 80s.
- Location: San Pablo Tijaltepec
- Instagram: @naanangatijaltepec
NOHUI, which translates to “the hypocorism of ‘Noichana’ (the Zapotec Goddess),” specializes in creating traditional pre-Hispanic huipiles from San Juan Colorado.
NOHUI’s main mission is to help create awareness around the ancestral traditions of the huipil and observes this practice by using natural materials and methods such as native cotton (coyuchi––which refers to the coyote’s fur), backstrap looms, and natural dyes (purple snail, red cochineal, and indigo).
By honoring these ancestral customs, NOHUI hopes to raise awareness regarding responsible consumption in order to create sustainability and to preserve the planet.
- Location: San Juan Colorado
- Instagram: @nohui.oax
Founded in 2012, by Narcy Morales and Joel Gómez, Rocinante was originally created to promote the Mixtec artisan work of Tijaltepec, as well as the Central Valleys of Oaxaca.
Today, the company uses innovative, traditional, and ancestral techniques to design unique products, including textiles and furniture.
Their main mission is to keep ancestral knowledge alive, which is why they always make sure to create discussions surrounding Oaxacan women’s point of view in regards to lifestyle, colors, and clothing.
In addition to using the “pepenando” technique, Rocinante also uses the “crochet randa” to share stories within their collections.
This summer, they are launching the “FLORESTA” collection, which incorporates neutral tones in napkin embroidery using the crochet randa style as well as baroque elements.
- Location: Tijaltepec
- Whatsapp: +52 1 9515161966
- Instagram: rocinante_oaxaca
Artes del Mar Textiles, is a family business located in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. They creates original huipil designs using a backstrap loom and ancestral Ikoot techniques.
- Whatsapp: +52 1 9513642626
- Facebook: Artes del Mar Textiles Ikoots
12. Suarez Textil
Founded by Silvia Suárez over 20 years ago, Suárez Textil creates unique pieces handmade with a more modern design.
They strive to bring awareness around the textiles of 8 different regions in Oaxaca.
Instagram: @SuarezTextil
Tierra Madre aims to bring value to the “artisanal wealth” of Mexican indigenous communities.
They work directly with artisans to create timeless objects “full of tradition and love” and hope to help clients create a space that they enjoy living in.
- Instagram: @tierramadre.conceptstore
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About the Author
LUISA NAVARRO
Mexican-American journalist, former national news producer, and graduate of Boston College and Columbia University School of Journalism. Her mission is to shed more light on the beauty and traditions of Mexican culture. This website is dedicated to her grandmothers, Tita Susana and Tita Lupita, who taught her to be proud of her heritage and to always remember where her ancestors came from.
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