Fashion Designer Sergio Alcala
Mexican Urban Kitsch
Sergio Alcalá is one of the most recognized fashion designers in México, and at only 23 years old, he is also considered one of the most innovative. Elle Magazine calls him the Jean Paul Gaultier of México, saying that his focused style makes him one to watch. His show at Fashion Week México Autumn /...
J.C. Superstar ! Julio Cesar Chavez: Boxing legend
If you mention the words “J.C. Superstar” to an American, the chances are they will think you are talking about a Broadway play. Utter those five syllables south of the Rio Grande, and get ready for an onslaught of words about Mexico’s most beloved practitioner of the sweet science. Julio Cesar Chavez is emblematic not...
Great Renovations: Let there be Light
An Ixtapa couple create the dream home they couldn't find
Renovation and Interior Design: Maru Pinto de Caraza Searching for your dream home and still haven’t found what you‘re looking for? One couple who were not ready to take on the task of building a home decided to make-do with what they had found, and make it their own. Renovating a dark, uninviting space into...
The Bookstores of Donceles Street, Mexico City
Step into any one of the dozen or so bookstores on Donceles Street in Mexico City´s historic center and you might find yourself in a predicament similar to the following: Do you stick to the game plan, zeroing in on that novel about the Mexican Revolution that you haven’t been able to find anywhere else,...
The Mexican Wine Oasis
Parras de la Fuente
It is not a mirage! After having crossed a long desert there appears a miraculous oasis… In this valley of fertile land crystalline springs abound. The Parras valley is a verdant space in which one forgets that they are surrounded by the semi-desert region of Coahuila. In addition to its water reserve, the Parras valley’s...
The Versatility of 40 Pound Test Line
If you had to make a choice for a single line weight to use in salt water fishing, what weight line comes to mind first? Remember, it doesn’t matter if it is braid line or mono-filament. The dedicated light line sportsman would probably choose twenty pound test, and have many a valid argument. Using a...
Dulce
Desserts in the Latin American Tradition
Excerpts from the book , by Joseluis Flores, with Laura Zimmerman Maye: Cajeta Cajeta is a goat’s milk caramel similar to dulce de leche (cow’s milk-caramel originally from Argentina) or manjar blanco (what they call dulce de leche in Peru). In Mexico, it is traditionally sold in small, thin wooden boxes, or cajas, on the...
Olmecs of Mexico
The Olmecs, which means “people of rubber” in Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs) began their civilization in southeastern Mexico between 1600 B.C. and 1400 B.C. It wasn’t until this century that the Olmecs were acknowledged to be part of Mexico’s history. Researchers prior to this time attributed many of the discoveries now associated with...
Guillermo del Toro, master of fantasy and allegory
Guillermo del Toro's “Pan’s Labrynth” held its Mexican premiere at the 2006 Morelia International Film Festival.
I consider myself to be pure, but not innocent. – Guillermo del Toro October 17, 2006 (Morelia International Film Festival 2006) Guillermo del Toro is one of the most unusually gifted and versatile directors to have emerged in recent years fromMexico. Master of the horror and fantasy genre in the country, since his international debut...
The Mexican Wine Oasis
It is not a mirage! After having crossed a long desert there appears a miraculous oasis… In this valley of fertile land crystalline springs abound. The Parras valley is a verdant space in which one forgets that they are surrounded by the semi-desert region of Coahuila. In addition to its water reserve, the Parras valley’s...
Alebrijes from Oaxaca
Beautiful and Whimsical Mexican Art Sculptures Made from Copal Wood
The valley surrounding Oaxaca is known for archaeological sites and a variety of artistic handicrafts. The most stunning are the intricately painted wooden alebrijes. Tourists have no trouble finding reason to visit Mexico’s southern state of Oaxaca. Wildlife, archaeological wonders, unique handicrafts and a mixed culture resistant to modernization draw visitors from around the world....
Magic Carpets, Oaxaca’s Master Weaver Preserves a Zapotec Tradition
When you enter The-Bug-in-the-Rug store in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, you are greeted by the master weaver himself, Isaac Vasquez, a friendly, soft-spoken man with salt and pepper hair. He invites you into his workshop, housed in the sunny courtyard of his family compound. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the carpets on the adobe...