Carla Fernández

Collaboration by Design

Carla Fernández is a Mexican fashion designer and cultural historian who is documenting, preserving, revitalizing, and bringing to contemporary relevance the rich textile heritage of Mexico’s Indigenous communities. Combining her passion for fashion, traditional Mexican garments, and deep respect for the artisans and communities who produce their textiles, she founded an ethical and sustainable business that includes a fashion label and a unique mobile design studio, Taller Flora.

Carla Fernández shares “To be original is to go back to the origin.” This principle has led them to prioritize garments that Mexican women have been wearing for generations, like rebozos, enredos, quechquemitl, fajas, etc. Perhaps most recognizable are the geometric silhouettes of a Carla Fernández piece, not only does this draw upon the traditional clothing forms of many cultures, but it also values the wearer’s autonomy. “Choosing the way to use a garment involves skill and originality: a gesture of autonomy as the item adapts to the imagination of who uses it. The practical and versatile aspects of this geometry are also characteristic: in Mexico there are garments that can be a skirt during the day and a blanket at night. These qualities make these outfits highly contemporary.”

Fernández’s current collection is composed of a myriad of traditional techniques ranging from ikat and foot loom rebozos, rapacejo (fringe), leather appliqué designs, yocts'i iconography (dog’s paw in Tzotzil), double-sided embroidery, cross-stitch embroidery, drawn thread from Xochitlán, blanket stitch embroidery, jipijapa palm weave, and sheet metal and milagro work. 

Fernández works with communities across México in different states such as Campeche, Chiapas, Mexico City, Estado de México, Guerrero, Michoacán, Oaxaca, and Puebla. The first step is always meeting with the community, understanding their self-identified heritage, and documenting their respective traditions and techniques. Any Carla Fernández piece that is informed by this collaboration is accompanied by this information through labeling and social media. Today, Carla Fernández works with over 120 women artisans, over 50 of which are the head of their families.