Teotitlan del Valle’s rugs & Tenancingo’s rebozos contributed by Norma Schafer

My friend and contributor Norma Schafer has posted on her blog, Oaxaca Culture, about  her contributions to my book  “Textile Fiestas of Mexico – a travelers guide”.  Norma covered two very important traditional textile centers included in my textile adventures in Mexico:  Teotitlan del Valle, the rug weavers of Oaxaca, and Tenancingo, the famous rebozo weavers in the Estado de Mexico, near Mexico City.

Here’s the link to her Oaxaca Culture blog and the whole story!!

Some lovely preview images  of Teotitlan del Valle and Tenancingo from the guide, to encourage you to go there!

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Check out AMAZON to order this colorful HAPPY guide full of beautiful pictures and lots of helpful tips for a full-on artisan experience in Mexico.

Don’t leave home without it!

 

Textile Fiestas of Mexico – A Travelers Guide

This is for you lovely followers who have subscribed to Living Textile of Mexico and haven’t heard from me for over a year! I guess the question is…Why has my blog been deeply unattended?

The answer is…  you are conjuring up and writing a BOOK !

So I’m happy to announce, available October 2016, Textile Fiestas of Mexico – A Traveler’s Guide to Celebrations, Markets and good shopping by Sheri Brautigam. Published by THRUMS

This is something I’ve been working  unconsciously since I moved to Mexico in 2007 and starting documenting my adventures visiting fiestas and markets in the State of Mexico, Michoacan, Puebla, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Particularly these places, as they have the largest indigenous communities in Mexico and therefore have the widest variety of traditional textiles. Of course, I was collecting and developing relationships with artisans in these places as I returned to some many times.

Then came the incubation period, beginning in 2011, when I returned to the states after four years in Mexico. I started thinking about how I could be helpful and promote these traditional artisans and the complex and amazing labor that they went through for each beautiful item I was seeing and sometimes buying. I started talking to museum curators and other photographers and authors in Santa Fe, NM, who I knew had undergone the process of publishing.

Honestly, for such a niche market subject, it looked unlikely I would find a publisher and publishing this information myself seemed rather a daunting task, but I hung in there. I made a pretty iBook sample with my best photos, illustrating the concept I was trying to develop and showed it around for a couple of years. I even sold some of these expensive little copies to a few friends.

At the Convergence Conference (2011) in Long Beach, CA, where I was presenting  a couple lectures on Mexican textiles, I bought a copy of “A Textile Guide to the Highlands of Chiapas” by Walter F. Morris, Jr.  I went into WOW-mode realizing there WAS a niche publisher out there. Who was THRUMS?  It took a couple more years before I actually connected with publisher Linda Ligon and she saw my iBook sample. Then another WOW moment and YES let’s do it! But in six months!!! My motto…just say YES!  Luckily I had already done most of the work, gotten most of the images and ONLY had to write it! (more or less)

Here’s my lively guide to where and when to go Mexico and what to buy ! It should be very useful to you textile junkies out there, who want to explore Mexico, and remember these places are safe to visit and also have great food and lodgings. Carry on, go there… and collect some wonderful textiles! Thanks for your patience.

You can pre-order on Amazon, NOW (so you won’t forget) or it could be in your favorite book store if you ask them to order some from THRUMS.

 

 

 

Quechquemitl – a totally unique Mexican garment

Even thought this exhibit ran four years ago (Spring 2011) at the Museo Textile de Oaxaca, it was a splendid opportunity to see MTO’s superb collection of historical, refined, elaborate, colorful, and precious little shoulder and chest covering garments. Please, don’t call them ponchos! The quech-que-mitl (I’ve broken the Nahua word into syllables) is a garment unique only-to-Mexico and has been in production for easily over two thousand years. The story told is that quechquemitles were first observed historically in temple frescoes and ceramics of the ancient Olmec and Oaxacan cultures and later in codices.

Quechques in Codices

In pre-conquest times it was worn as an upper-body covering by the priestesses and high born women who had access to the most sumptuous textiles. After the conquest this garment became widely used in the indigenous communities who adapted it, embellished it with their sacred symbols and made it their own. Although currently it is seen in only a few communities of central Mexico – Nahuas, Mazahuas, Purepeche, Hustecos, it is thought to have been worn in most villages in central Mexico after the conquest and before the European peasant blouse became common. It was encouraged by the Spanish, so that women would be covered to enter the churches and their group identity could be recognized. It is one of the first garments worn exclusively by women along with the enredo (wrap around and tube skirt) which I will blog on later.

Pre-conquest garments were woven on the back-strap looms and the full web was used. A web could be woven in various widths and lengths specific for enredos (wrap skirts) quechquemitles (capelets)  and manteles (large coverings). These webs were then joined together. To cut a hand woven cloth was to destroy its integrity or soul and spirit that went into its making. I managed to photograph the exhibit on several visits to Museo Textile de Oaxaca and following is a slide show of my favorites. In future posts, I will write about the two areas that I’ve explored that still use the quechquemitl: the Nahua of Cuetzalan, Puebla and the Mazahua of the State of Mexico.

The shortened pronunciation “Quech-que” is acceptable but don’t call it a poncho!! That’s a larger and more blanket-like garment.

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(BEST) Oaxacan Textile Shopping – Part II – Individual and coops

Around the Santo Domingo church are several individual shops with fine textiles. Out and about? Take a look at these!

El Nahual – 412 A Reforma (near and across from the Botanical Garden) El Nahual is a small coop of friends who present the best of their work. Master weaver Erasto ‘Tito” Mendoza’s exquisitely woven tapestries are highlighted along with some excellent San Antonino embroidered ‘Oaxacan wedding dress’ style blouses by Miriam Campos Cornelio…and of course some other non-textile artisania i.e. jewelry, wood carvings and an interesting secondary market of prints from famous Oaxacan artists.Toledo anyone? Definitely great stuff!!

Silvia Suarez – Gurrion #1110 interior 1 (across the street from southern side of Santo Domingo nr. Alcala) For over 10 years Silvia has been working with different textile groups throughout the state of Oaxaca. Artisans involved in her projects develop creative skills which are then transmitted into her clothing line that joins the contemporary with the traditional. Lots of great ‘younger’ innovative style dresses, blouses etc. Plus some wonderful accessories and gifts.

Sivia’s Website  and YouTube presentation

A R I P O – 809 Garcia Vigil (located in a beautiful colonial building above Alcala)  The Oaxacan Institute of Artesania, is a state sponsored institute with multiple small galleries of fine artesania: ceramics, textiles, jewelry etc. Especially interesting to me are the textiles and I usually find some good specimens among the huipiles and blouses. Plus there is innovative jewelry coming directly from remote parts of Oaxaca. Different craft media is featured at various times during the year – so you never know what you will find here and you won’t see it any other place. Generally good quality and worth the visit if just for the colonial building alone. Climb the hill above Alcala.

(The BEST) Textile Shopping in Oaxaca City

Having recently lived in Oaxaca for 3 years plus many other visits over time, I’ve scouted out the BEST and highest quality Oaxacan textiles. The following shops are where I hang out and send my fellow textile junkies. Of course, there are LOTS of textiles EVERYWHERE  in Oaxaca, but even if you aren’t a collector, it’s a good idea to educate your eye with the BEST. Honestly, you won’t find anything better than the textiles here!  You’ll most likely be back to buy something as the textiles are that beautiful. I call the following stores —textile DANGER ZONES.

Baules de Juana Cata – Alcala 403  – entrance to ‘Los Danzantes Restuarant’ – inner courtyard to the right. Remigio Mestes’ store is chock full of the most gorgeous textiles in all Oaxaca. The last 15 years Remigio has been instrumental in revitalizing traditional back-strap weaving and natural dyeing, not to mention embroidery and use of finer base materials.  He has encouraged over 200 artisans (see picture) to create the most refined and elegant textiles probably in all of Mexico. To talk to Remigio you have to have luck and timing as he’s often out of town visiting his artisans or out of the country or traveling searching for better base materials (silks & cottons) or setting up exhibits in places like Japan. If your timing is right the best time to catch him is around 7 pm in his shop. If you are seriously interested in seeing (and possibly buying) the VERY best he will be happy to pull things out of his ‘baules’ / trunks that will knock your socks off!  He also has a very knowledgeable staff who look young but are very charming and capable of assisting you. He’s training the children of his artisans to be merchants and ambassadors of their traditional textile culture.

Museo Textile de Oaxaca – Hidalgo 917 corner of Fiallo – two block east of the Zocalo –  The museum shop at Museo Textile de Oaxaca offers top quality textiles from Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico. GREAT stuff. The Museum itself  has an outstanding collection of Mexican textiles but seeing it will depend on what is currently showing. You might get lucky and be there for the monthly 3-4 day sales/demonstrations by visiting regional artisans, which is a great opportunity to buy directly from the artists. Please check the following link to see what’s going on. The museum also offers short classes in indigo dyeing, back-strap loom weaving, embroidery and other things textile related. Current classes will be listed on the site too.

Arte Amuzgo – 5 da May #217B– one block down from Camino Real Convent Hotel on the right. Odilon Morales, represents his weavers coop from San Pedro Amuzgos,and indigenous villages near the coast of Oaxaca. (see a little sign painted on the wall outside of his shop of a weaver at her back strap loom). Odilon is another innovative organizer/promoter of traditional weavers who provides the high quality threads and encourages contemporary color combinations. His weavers produce refined sophisticated huipiles and blouses sought after by affluent Mexicans and foreign collectors. High quality textiles from other weaving groups in the Oaxacan coastal area available too. Both Odilon and Remigio have been participants in the prestigious Santa Fe International Folk Art Market – so my best images of them are from this event.

COMING SOON  – PART II AND III – Textile Shopping in and around Oaxaca and Individual Artisan Shops….

Museum Shop – Museo Textile de Oaxaca

Shelves in shop -Museo Textile de Oaxaca

Remigio and his Oaxacan traditional textile artisans

Remigio at Folk Art Market in Santa Fe.

SuperFino Huave huipil – Remigio’s shop on Alcala

Odilion Morales at Maestro de Arte Fair in Chapala, Mexico

Amuzgo huipiles – Folk Art Market – Santa Fe, NM

Exceptional Amuzgo Huipiles- Folk Art Market Santa Fe, NM

Odilon finishing huipil.

 

Mexican Textile Presentation – March 13th, 2014 – Louisville, CO

I’ve been a bit tardy with my posts in 2013 and now March 2014 is here!

Collecting Mexican Textiles Presentation – March 13th – 2013 – Louisville, COLORADO

If you live near Denver/Boulder Colorado and want to learn more about collecting traditional Mexican Textiles and the excitement of finding beautiful clothing and textiles in Mexico …. you are cordially invited to Laura Lambrecht’s charming store BELLA FRIDA – on 924 Main Street, Louisville, Colorado. Come early and try on beautiful huipiles from Chiapas and Oaxaca as well as learn how to tie a REBOZO – the signature Mexican accessory shawl.

Trunk show opens at 6:30pm and the slide presentation around 7:15pm.

(720) 301-1645 – event questions

VIVA LA FRIDA – VIVA LA VIDA – VIVA LOS TEXTILES DE MEXICO!!!

Aguatenango’s huipi – Chiapas

Tehuana Women , Gala Outfits, Isthmus of Oaxaca

Amuzgo weaver – Florentina Lopez – Oaxaca

Lila Downs’ Costumes – Performer and Fashionista Mexicana

I became a Lila Downs fan when she performed in Santa Fe, NM perhaps over 12 years ago. At that time her fashion sense was pretty much ‘Dead Head’ exotic-hippie-Mexicana. I loved her long ribbon braids and pieces of traditional  heavily embroidered Tehuana skirt fabric that she somehow managed to keep on her hips during her dynamic songs. Well, things have changed, baby – and now she has a designer  (Mane’ Alta Costura of Oaxaca) making her still-indigenous based costumes, to my great joy, from traditional traje /regional clothing and textiles of Mexico.  Since I’m a collector/documenter of Mexican traditional textiles, I certainly recognize the original pieces. But how they’ve been transformed!  All I can say is , WOW! ! !.  I’ve been collecting images of some of her most original uses of these beautifully woven or embroidered textiles and the creative ways they’ve been reconstructed into lavish and sometimes ‘over the top’ creations.

I hope you enjoy this slide show (many of the images are from past performances featured on Lila’s FB pages) and for those interested in “Living Textiles of Mexico”, I’ve identified the original village or region, where her textiles are from. After all, Lila’s mother is from Tlaxiaco in the Mixteca area of Oaxaca and Lila spent part of her childhood there, and currently spends part of the year in Oaxaca, living, performing and doing philanthropic work by supporting education for young rural indigenous girls. She knows  the traditional origins of her clothing, most are from Oaxaca her home, and she’s proud of it!  They are the very best of the best Oaxacan traje ! 

VIVA LILA – Fashionista Mexicana!  VIVA the traditional trajes of Oaxaca!

Here’s a YouTube vido I just made for this post – and my favorite song – ‘La Cumbia del Mole’

http://youtu.be/4bDmM8rN4n4