Floral Pattern Leather Backpack in Redwood from Mexico, "Floral Artisan in Redwood"

“We are Paulina and Maria Jose, natives of Guadalajara, Jalisco. We always felt very attracted by the beautiful tradition of tooled leather and saddlery that can be found in the southeast of our country.

“This beautiful tradition finds its roots in San Cristobal de las Casas, Comitlan, and Tuxtla Gutierrez, which are the cities of Chiapas where saddlery has experienced a great boom. In these places, leatherworking is primarily used for crafting saddles, and was initiated by the arrival of the Spaniards, who brought sheep and cattle to the Americas.

“One of the parts that we enjoy the most about our work is, more than anything, imagining the pieces and working hard until we achieve a quality and avant-garde item. Seeing the finished pieces is very gratifying. Family, friends, and our personal history that we have traced throughout our lives are our inspiration.

“Beginning a project requires enormous focus and desire to rise above the challenges that we face in life. How you resolve them is the key to converting your experience into a great apprenticeship. There is always a way to reinvent yourself and grow.

“Creating artisanal pieces has given us the opportunity to closely observe the needs of the artisans that form part of our team. Our values are passion and devotion to what we do; this is what most distinguishes our work, up to the point of presenting our pieces.”