Pineda Covalin
Pineda Covalin is a Mexican fashion house that works to promote the culture from its country, on national and international scale.
History
Pineda Covalin was established in 1995 by Cristina Pineda and Ricardo Covalín in Mexico City. The company began manufacturing cufflinks and ties for firms like The Coca-Cola Company and Volkswagen in order to finance their own fashion projects. Their first handkerchief / silk scarf, was created and inspired by a trip Cristina Pineda made to Mérida, where she spent a month living in the Dzoncauich town. There she met Doña Celsa, a henequen dyer with whom she worked with to create the first designs for handbags and accessories.The firm was conceived under the idea of a "...a cultural rather than a fashion product." Initially, Pineda Covalin sold their products in museums such as the National Museum of Anthropology and the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. The brand's commercial success allowed it to start the distribution of their products in hotels. Their product line now includes ties, kerchiefs, handbags, cushions and other luxury items, inspired by indigenous populations such as the Huicholes, Mayans and Zapotecs.
Work and Inspiration
Pineda Covalin's designs are inspired by elements of Mexican indigenous and contemporary art, as the brand works to portray the diversity of Mexico through its cultures. Their designs are characterized for having representations of cultural elements such as architecture, sculpture, painting, codices, gastronomy and people themselves.Cristina Pineda states that the purpose of their designs is also to "create a bridge of communication among Latin America ", as they invite consumers to know more about the culture through products that tell stories. Ricardo Covalín supports the statement, saying that these stories also belong to all the participants in the creation process, as well as the generations that have helped maintain techniques and traditions alive up to our days.
Their designs are product of an "interdisciplinary and creative" process, where designers, historians and anthropologists collaborate after analyzing tendencies in the industry and putting them together with their concepts and values. Along with this, the brand makes use of higher quality materials in order to portray Mexican culture with "subtlety and modernity," and position themselves among international brands.