Collaboration with Redd Dott Jewelry and Margarita Mercantile

Coming Soon !!!

Margarita Mercantile / Margarita Mercantile 

In the Zapotec region of Oaxaca, Mexico, an ancestral technique is preserved for creating the embroidery known as San Antonino. Each piece is hand-drawn directly onto the fabric, without templates, guided solely by the artisan’s inspiration.

Today, some garments are stamped with the design before being embroidered. This technique uses two types of thread: cotton and silk, although most pieces are made with cotton threads traditionally dyed using natural pigments obtained from flowers, prickly pears, minerals, and animals. Among the most representative embroidery designs are the region’s birds, pansies, carnations, and the famous hazme si puedes (“make me if you can”), which depicts community life: men working in the fields harvesting flowers, and women, from home, contributing to the family’s livelihood through embroidery.

Once the design is drawn onto cotton or linen fabrics, the next step is the careful selection of colors that enhance the value of this ancestral work. Creating an embroidery can take anywhere from one to nine months, depending on the complexity of the design and the techniques used.

In Oaxaca, natural dyes come from plants, minerals, and even animals. Boiled walnut shells yield rich browns; pomegranate and marigold flowers create vibrant yellows; and indigo, locally known as “blue gold,” is extracted from the jiquilite plant through a fermentation and drying process that transforms it into a compact pigment easy to transport. When wool or cotton threads are immersed in boiling water containing this pigment, the fibers absorb its deep, characteristic blue.

One of the most iconic colors of animal origin is the red from cochineal, a small insect that feeds on local cactus and produces carminic acid. Once dehydrated and ground, the insects are added to hot water with the fibers, producing intense red hues.

Combining these plant- and animal-based dyes with other natural elements —such as citrus acids, baking soda, iron, or copper— results in an endless range of colors.

Investing in a handmade piece means acquiring a luxury that carries tradition, history, and the soul of its creators.

We use 100% Mexican cotton, known as Manta. We also import fabrics from Spain, Italy, and Portugal to ensure the quality and longevity of our pieces. Our goal is to elevate the embroidery and the various techniques used.