Carla Fernández is a fashion house based in Mexico City dedicated to preserving and revitalizing the textile legacy of Indigenous and mestizo communities of Mexico. The brand’s vision in regards to manual methods proves that ethical fashion can be innovative, avant-garde and progressive. An agency of change and innovation, bringing new meaning to luxury fashion, the Carla Fernández team travels the throughout Mexico visiting communities of artisans who specialize in handmade textiles and centuries-old Indigenous techniques. The approach of the brand to these communities is contributing to sustaining ancient Indigenous techniques and the people who collaborate with it.
Carla Fernández works in creative and productive collaboration with artisans in each project; techniques such as embroidery or manual weaving are an integral part of the design and production of new pieces and collections. In 2013, Carla was one of 11 globally awarded Amsterdam-based Prince Clause Awards, which recognizes artists whose cultural actions have a positive impact on the development of their communities. We have also had solo exhibitions at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA / Jumex Museum in Mexico City / Heath Ceramics in San Francisco, CA / SIFA The O.P.E.N. Festival in Singapore; and group exhibitions at the MAD Museum, New York; Iturbide Palace and Amparo Museum in Mexico City, among others. In addition, the company is a B Corp, a certification that guarantees that best practices are implemented in all areas of the company. The brand has been featured in publications such as Elle, Vogue, i-D, * wallpaper, T The New York Times magazine, among others.
Carolina Franco is a Mexican-American arts and culture worker from the El Paso - Ciudad Juárez area. She currently serves the New Mexico community in her role as External Affairs Manager for the artist-centric contemporary art space, SITE SANTA FE. Carolina oversees all aspects of SITE SANTA FE’s creative communications strategy including brand management, marketing and communications, media and public relations, and digital and social platforms. With her heart in New Mexico and in the Texas-Mexico border, Carolina continues to be involved in her community as an active Board member for the non-profit social innovation project and clothing brand NIENMORE which merges political activism, fashion, and arts. She has served as a Board Member for The City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Advisory Board, and as President of the Board of Directors for the El Paso-based organization and movement “dedicated to creating communities defined by women”, La Mujer Obrera.