The garments originating from Oaxaca are offered in the center of Mazatlán between 200 and 220 pesos each, there are days when they sell up to eight pieces
Mazatlán, Sinaloa. – The “typical or traditional” has become fashionable. The colorful and embroidered from Oaxaca come to Mazatlán in a wide variety of blouses.
In the city center, blouses of different sizes, colors, and styles are sold at prices that vary between 200 and 220 pesos each.
In Leandro Valle street, in front of the José María Pino Suárez municipal market, two young women sell Oaxaca blouses with their traditional embroidery of flowers, leaves, birds and a wide variety of designs.
They comment that the garments are sent from Oaxaca and they are sold cheaply for 200 pesos each and sometimes even less since it is the only possibility of obtaining an income.
They said that there are good days like when there are tourist cruises where they sell up to 8 garments with a total of 1,600 pesos, but there are others that barely sell one.
Yes, it sells well, about in fortnight, when weekend, there is a boat that has many tourists and buy a souvenir from Mexico.
Oaxacan Teens
Another pair of young people from Oaxaca, sitting on the floor selling blouses along Benito Juárez street next to the Mazatlan Cathedral, display the clothes on hooks and mannequins to attract the attention of passers-by.
They expressed that they arrive at the center with 30 garments of different sizes and designs and styles, in order to offer customers a variety of blouses.
INFO
220 pesos cost each blouse.
8 garments come to sell in one day.
30 different styles offer to the public.
DESIGN
The garments are brought from Oaxaca with their traditional embroidery of flowers, leaves, birds and a wide variety of designs.
MEETING THE ARTISANS OF MEXICO’S FAMOUS PEASANT BLOUSE IN SAN ANTONINO CASTILLO VELASCO, OAXACA
San Antonino Castillo Velasco is a small town famous for one thing, the traditional and iconic Mexican peasant blouse. Located 40 minutes outside of Oaxaca City, the artisans residing there are renowned for the multicoloured, minuscule and pretty embroidery that was said to have taken the American hippie fashion scene by storm in the 1970s. Although these Mexican women have been wearing the peasant blouse for decades, the garment has become a signature piece of the ‘boho’ look with traditional designs being plagiarized by high-end fashion houses who have turned the peasant blouse into a much sought after designer look.
Traditional Mexican Peasent blouses made by the artisans of San Antonino Castillo Velasco in Oaxaca. You can order a custom blouse at Artesania Textil, learn how they’re made in a drop-in workshop or choose one of the many beautiful items they have for sale.
In November 2018 I went to Oaxaca to hunt down traditional techniques for workshops for our new tour, Mexico: Frida, Fashions, Fabrics & Fiestas. It was here that I was introduced to Artesania Textil, a woman’s co-operative in the outskirts of the city who specialise in producing embroidery for Mexican peasant shirts.
Artesania Textil provides a network of 60 or so women with opportunities for supplementary income by producing blouses, dresses and huipils for special occasions. The co-operative, which is run by the local church, also gives the women daily meals, natural medicines and opportunities for education.
Traditional designs are made using traditional techniques by artisans who have had their trade passed down to them through the generations and the co-operative provides them with all the fabric, thread, sewing equipment and training they need.
Around ten different women are primarily responsible for drawing the designs of tiny pansies, wildflowers, and birds onto the cotton fabric in biro pen. One dress design normally takes around two to three hours to draw. The garment is then returned to the workshop where the embroiderers come and collect it to take home. There they will finish the designs with a combination of draw thread, smocking, satin stitch embroidery, and crochet techniques. The pieces are then returned to the workshop where the in-house tailors machine sew the garments together.
The artisans themselves are not wealthy. They work part-time and are paid around 200 pesos ($10) for a finished embroidery panel on a blouse. Each blouse takes around five to seven days to complete and is often worked on in the in-between hours of their other jobs.
An embroidery design marked in biro pen on a white cotton sleeveless dress.
San Antonino Castillo Velasco embroidery process blusa. This half-finished blouse shows some finished embroidery and the remaining biro-drawn designs.
he traditional and most popular style is in white cotton, but there are now brighter options available too such as purple, pink, blue, green and orange. Simpler two-color blouses with one color embroidery instead of rainbow colors are also becoming more popular. The designs vary from simple blouses for $40, like the ones seen in the photos, to ornate and heavily embellished dresses which sell for around $200-300.
Artesania Textil is based in San Antonino Castillo Velasco, which can be easily reached from Oaxaca along highway 175, turn right around 2 km before Ocotlan Los Morelos. Call ahead to arrange a traditional textile workshop, one hour costs 100 pesos and includes materials.
Map
Contact details:Marta Sernas, Manager: tel 9511353231 – 539 6243Alejandra Santiago, Designer: tel 9513226062
Address: Mecedonio alcala no 32, San Antonino Castillo Velasco
Source: sol de mazatlan, hauteculturefashion.com
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