Total price of the tour to be confirmed.
Tour Overview
The Mexican aesthetic is rooted in an appreciation of materials, energised by a colour palette of indigo, cochineal and sea snail purple. Across the country, technical virtuosity has been inherited alongside a respect for the wisdom of the elders, and these elements ricochet in Mexico’s striking contemporary design scene. Starting in Mexico City, the tour will explore the richness of Mexico’s capital, through to Oaxaca and finishing in Chiapas.
Expert guide
Your guide for this trip will be world-renowned textile scholar, artist, and curator Yoshiko Wada. She is also a producer of a series of DVDs on natural dyeing featuring master dyer Michel Garcia. DVD II “Colors of Latin America” was filmed in Oaxaca in 2012 with the cooperation of local artisans and institutions. In 2016, she co-chaired the 10th International Shibori Symposium with Alejandro de Avila, director of the Ethnobotanical Garden, in Oaxaca. Highlights of the gathering were an ikat fashion exhibition featuring jaspe from Mexico and kasuri from Japan presented by Mexico City fashion designer Carla Fernandez; a shibori-dyed flag installation by Christina Kim at the Textile Museum of Oaxaca; and a project replicating a stitch-resist Mexican woolen skirt from Quretaro by Japanese natural dye specialist Kazuki Yamazaki and shibori artisan Hiroshi Murase. Through Yoshiko’s connections with scholars, artists, designers, artisans, and heads of institutions you will enjoy a journey that goes beyond a tourist experience.
Textiles and Craftsmanship
Our days will be filled experiencing Mexico's colourful bazaars and shops such as El Bazaar Sabado in Mexico City, followed by visits to Mexico’s iconic museums, such as Frida Kahlo’s house and museum and Luis Barragán house and studio. In Oaxaca, we will have the chance to visit the celebrated San Antonino embroidery coop as well as other local craftspeople. There are some astonishing cultural sites to see in Oaxaca as well as museums with large textile collections. Finishing in Chiapas, we will be immersed in the art of Bill Ward, an artist and master dyer, explore Mexico’s weaving traditions and wander the artisan folk art market. You will have the opportunity to take part in workshops to learn craft traditions directly from those who have practised them for generations.
History and Culture
Mexico is steeped in history that dates from the time of the Mayan civilisation, to Spain’s colonial rule. On this tour you will visit Oaxaca, an epically historic state where you can explore ceremonial sites and sample the famous local food at traditional markets, before exploring Chiapas, a region awash with the legacy of Spanish rule and the remnants of ancient Maya civilisation, and finally thrilling to the chaos of Mexico City.
Fiestas
Our tour takes place over Semana Santa, one of the most important festivals in Mexico. Each community celebrates the holiday with it's own regional flavour, however, popular with the whole country is the breaking of cascarones, coloured egg shells filled with confetti, over friends and family. Churches will be filled with those attending Mass, and there will be large processions of penitents in the streets. In many cities, important religious images from the church will be displayed, traditional altars are decorated at home and in the streets, and flower decorations and palm crosses will be found everywhere.
Small Groups
Group sizes will be limited to no more than 14 people.
