The huipiles featured here come from the town of Chenalhó, a Tzotzil Maya community in the southern state of Chiapas, one of Mexico’s most celebrated centres of Mayan textile culture. This collection was purchased directly from artisan women from Chenalhó at markets in the nearby city of San Cristóbal de las Casas.

The base fabrics of these huipiles are handwoven on traditional backstrap looms before being decorated by hand with brocade weaving and raised embroidery. These techniques produce richly textured garments that use Mayan weaving traditions with continually evolving designs. For more than a century, Chenalhó has been known for adapting its textile patterns - the colours and motifs change from year to year making the huipiles of Chenalhó a living expression of community identity and culture.