- MAY // ALBANA -

All the way from Guadalajara Mexico, comes a very beautiful brand with a very beautiful mission. We sat down and spoke to the founders, and cool sister duo Maria and Viviane Gomez, about the inspiration behind their ceramic and textile company Albana.

So just when you thought your love of plants couldn’t get any stronger, may we introduce you to the stunning ceramics and textile company Albana, based in Guadalajara Mexico. Their plant pots truely wowed us, and you will want nothing less for your beloved propagated monstera plant than one of their beautifully hand crafted pieces. Trust us.

Just 9 months ago, sisters Maria and Viviane Gomez, set up Albana with a mission to protect and preserve some of Mexico’s finest native traditions.

If you aren’t familiar with Mexico and it’s culture, let us tell you, its home to some of the worlds most exquisite and impressive artesian crafts. But in this day and age, sadly, the skilled work of artisans is dwindling thanks to mass production and the demand in which we expect to receive goods.

Maria and Viviane wanted to ensure their history and culture lives through Albana's products by leveraging the original work of the artisans whilst also re-imagining some of their designs with a modern day twist that is appealing to today’s generation.

Both Maria and Viviane come from creative and design backgrounds, (an architect AND an interior designer…could you get a more top notch combo), and their love for Mother Nature encouraged them to involve their passion with botanics.

Combine that with their inspiration to rescue and preserve the traditions and history of Mexico, you get a fusion of fresh, innovative and creative designs, made by some of the most skilled craftspeople in Mexico. All hand made with their own individual story.

So, how did their idea come to life. Who are these skilled artisans? How did Maria and Viviane find them? WE NEED ANSWERS. Well, their story is perhaps one of destiny, or luck, either way, these are the kind of stories we love and live for.

Sisters Viviane and Maria Gomez with Doña Leti and their traditional glazed pineapple.

It all started one day when Maria and Viviane decided to visit a community in San Bartolome Michoacán in which a family of artisans called the Pasaye family lived. They are a family of artisans know for their technique "cocucho" and famous for their glazed clay pineapples.

They didn’t have a plan, just a feeling that they were going to find ‘the right people’. They knocked on a door and that’s where the magic began. They met a lady called Doña Leti and told her their idea for Albana, and from that moment their idea blossomed into reality.

Maria and Viviane introduced Doña to fresh ideas to and together re-thought about what products they could make together.

Doña Leti above and The Kuchi Pot, remodeled from a piggy bank to a plant pot.

Fast forward a few months, Albana now works with 12 artesian communities across Mexico and sell their products in stores across Mexico, including Bodeguita.

'Rostros'

Red clay vases from San Marocs Oaxaca.

So why are they Bodeguita’s maker of the month? Well, in today’s modern day, where we have seen a rise in mass production, globalization and excess consumption, brands like Albana should be shouted about.

We are all aware of the pace we were destroying our planet in the pursuit of materialistic purchasing. We are destroying our worlds ecosystems, culture, heritage, and people's livelihoods to the point of extinction.

Whilst commerce isn’t going away, we, as the consumer have a responsibility to shop wisely, shop consciously to keep cultures alive, because when a culture disappears so does its people.

So when you purchase a piece from Albana, your are protecting their culture, enabling their timeless skills to be passed down to the next generations and allowing their stories to live on.

How much better does your monstera feel now? :)

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For more information about Albana’s products drop us a line :)

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