Meet Claudia from Mexikitsch, passionate about Mexican traditions.

I was born and raised in Mexico City, I can still remember the smells of my Saturday’s doing the weekly shop at the market, the colours of a Sunday in Coyoacán and the busy sound of the Zocalo on a special event.  I will never forget getting lost in the hundreds of rolls of fabric sold in La Parisina  in El Centro or helping my mother carry ribbons and wool back home and helping her craft her latest hobby.  My father was a real Mexican history buff and when I got accepted to University (I was later to become an Archaeologist!) he was the happiest! His love for Mexico, prehispanic culture, and all things Mexican Pride had come to fruition.

MexiKitsch was born back then. I just didn’t quite know it.

Many years passed before I finally found my calling. After a few semi-successful ventures to bring my talents some purpose the ‘big break’ came. A wonderful friend had put my name forward to run workshops for a big event in a very important museum in London. MexiKitsch was ready to be called upon to and I could feel it.

A Christmas market saw me getting brave enough to let MexiKitsch out of its bag and showcase what I could do.   Again, thanks to a good friend and ideas partner, MexiKitsch officially was brought into the makers world. And I haven’t looked back.   It has been a scary ride, sometimes running smoothly and then suddenly doing a somersault and 90 degree drop that I never saw coming, spinning around a few times -enough to make me dizzy- to then drop me in the calmest of seas leaving me with that false sense of security that I’m kinda getting used to by now!

Every item I make is made lovingly and carefully by hand. Many -for example the Nichos- can take days in the making, where I wont stop until it looks perfect (In my head of course) and I have finally exactly what I had in mind (spoiler-my mind doesn’t quite know exactly what I’m looking for until it happens-).  I take inspiration from every memory, every smell, colour, picture. Mexico is such a wonderful place its impossible not to feel inspired when you think of it.

I have immense pride for my culture, particularly Day of the Dead. A magnificent event where we celebrate the lives of the departed. What a strange yet wonderful part of being Mexican. Many a times I have tried to describe it to people, yet is difficult to convey exactly what it means to us if you haven’t lived it (make sure you have -visit Mexico for Day of the Dead- in your bucket list, you can thank me later!).

It is this love and excitement for my favorite holiday that’s the backbone of MexiKitsch. Most of the items in my catalogue are inspired enormously by this wonderful time. The banners, the nichos, the sacred hearts, earrings and bracelets… all of it and more draws its beauty and core from the Days of the Dead from my heart.

It is my hope that every one that shops at MexiKitsch takes away a piece of Mexico. A little bit of my heart. Every item that leaves my shop has within it my Saturdays at the market,  Sundays in Coyoacán, days out with my mum in El Centro. All the colours and flavours and noises of Mexico; that is the heart of MexiKitsch.