Daniela Quintero

“I was born in Comitan, in the state of Chiapas. In my adolescence at the age of twelve I learned to sew, thanks to my grandmother, who always took care of making tablecloths, curtains, blankets, etc. at home. I remember that she taught me how to embroider cross-stitch, and embroider with a hook. But it was not until four years later that I learned more techniques.

“I remember that my high school friends called me "Dani little things;" I always had the ability to do crafts, or anything that involved using my hands. I loved to feel that freedom when embroidering; and I had a passion for any traditional process.

“In 2013, I decided to quit my job and dedicate myself to building a textile collaboration workshop. The artisans who collaborate in this wonderful project have the freedom to let their imagination run and create their own designs. It was difficult to start this dream; and to understand and know the creative process of each team member. One of the challenges was recognizing the cultural clash that currently exists and that is a focus of competition. But it provides us with the example to be every day more authentic in our work.

“One thing I love about my job is to find myself every day with new challenges to learn. An example of this is that I was taught in San Andres Larrainzar to hand-cut with the traditional techniques. One of the great things that continues to inspire me is to observe the peace in the eyes of the artisans when they make an item; for me, observing them is a form of meditation.

“We try to use recovered materials such as leather scraps that are discarded; with these we make some rudimentary pieces for the bags. We are currently researching the creation of organic cotton in the Chapaneca jungle, which will generate jobs for more families. My dream is to expand the workshop and invite more artisans to be part of this project. We hope to continue promoting Chiapanecos textiles, while specializing in a more sustainable product and reducing the environmental impact.”