PAULINA PARLANGE

COFOUNDER, COLORINDIO

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

Paulina is the cofounder of Colorindio, a Mexican textile company that works with over 150 women in the traditional weaving communities of Chiapas and Oaxaca.

Paulina has worked with indigenous communities to preserve their traditional ways of life for over 30 years now. At Colorindio, she works with local weavers to curate modern textile collections that are hand-woven using back strap or pedal looms. This collaboration allows the indigenous women to maintain a very important part of their culture, while also earning a good living to support their families. Paulina calls textiles “a form of cultural resistance,” and we love how much heart and soul she has put into preserving this Mexican tradition.

On Wild Terrains group trips to Mexico City, we visit Paulina at Colorindio’s private showroom to learn more about Mexico’s weaving history, and - of course - do a little textile shopping while were there!

Follow Colorindio here.

1. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU LOVE ABOUT MEXICO CITY?

The parks, museums, streets to walk along, such as Reforma or Francisco Sosa in Coyoacan. I have had the great chance to live in a quiet green zone where I raised my children.  Last but not least, the opportunity to travel out of the city often… I find that to truly enjoy this overwhelming city I need to spend at least half of the year out of it!

2. COLORINDIO IS DISTINCTLY INSPIRED BY MEXICAN CULTURE AND HERITAGE. HOW HAS YOUR OWN CULTURE AND HERITAGE INFLUENCED YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY?

My culture is Mexican, and I have been in contact with indigenous communities since I was ten.

3. WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITE DESIGNS? WHY?

I have worked with the designs of Chamulas communities for 30 years, and their “bolitas” design has nearly always been a hit. It is not my design, but I did interpret their blouse design into a cushion cover, which was very interesting to do.

4. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE COLORINDIO IN THE FIRST PLACE? WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE?

Meeting Libia (my cofounder), and at the same time being contacted by AID TO ARTISANS to help on a design workshop that ended up becoming Colorindio. I knew many groups of artisans in Mexico before and I was happy to return after 2 years living out of the country to produce with them on a fair trade basis. I had been working as a partner and co-founder of ARTEFACTO, a concept store that was the first to make contemporary designs in collaboration with artisan communities.

5. WHAT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE YOU ABOUT THIS COMPANY AS IT HAS GROWN?

I never really thought it would be possible to curate sustainable production for the many mayan groups of weavers we work with. I think that the synergy with Libia’s skills of creating new palettes and the modern ways to sell online made it more possible than I thought it could be.

6. WHY DO YOU BELIEVE A COMPANY LIKE COLORINDIO IS SO VITAL TO MEXICO SPECIFICALLY?

Mexico, and the world in general, has to promote its ancient traditions. Mexico is a country with more than 70 ethnic groups, which are our cultural inheritance. I believe the presence of Colorindio has helped weavers to reevaluate their work for modern times. They are the masters of the back strap technique and their embroideries make a very important textile collection that preserves techniques of brocades in back strap loom that are only used in very few communities is still living.