What is 32 Estados? In one, two sentences...
32 Estados curates Mexican contemporary design from growing designers who collaborate with artisans to make home décor and accessories that can be integrated into a modern lifestyle. By doing so, ancient techniques in textiles, pottery, natural fibers, etc. are being preserved and elevated to high quality products with culture and traditions behind them.
Who had the idea? How did he/she come up with it and why?
I was born and raised in Mexico and am the founder of 32 Estados in Switzerland with the intention to spread the word about all the positive things that Mexico has to offer via the work of Mexican product designers who have social impact. After living in the US, Vietnam, Finland, and now Switzerland, I wanted to find a way to change the perspective of the typical «Tex-Mex», which is the Americanized version of my own country. While traveling in Mexico, I started finding wonderful design pieces that honored my traditions and that could be part of an international style. And the best part of it is that the designers work in collaboration with artisans to make contemporary design and developing social projects. So, once I moved to Switzerland, I decided to open my online concept store 32 Estados to promote Mexican design as a way to support growing designers and at the same time promote a modern version of Mexico that connects back to its historical roots, showcasing handcrafted meaningful products with culture and a story.