Petate

Mexico

Industrial designer Mariana Aguila Alonso founded Petate with a clear goal in mind: to revalue the ancient craft of natural fibers weaving, and in so doing incentivize local artisans to keep the tradition alive by helping them to generate long-term income and exposing them to wider markets.

Petate comes from the Nahuatl word "petlatl" and refers to a rectangular mat made with interwoven vegetable fibers, which was commonly made to sleep on. Today, Petate reinterprets this long-standing tradition by blending beautiful contemporary design with ancestral techniques of natural fibers manipulation, bringing you a host of products for the home, including lampshades, baskets, and small furniture.

Petate works with master craftsmen and women in various states across Mexico. In the state of Guerrero, Margarito Sabino and Isaura Rojas’ families create outstanding products with palm leaves. Patricia García and Roberto Mejía live in the State of Mexico and reinterpret the yarn painting technique with chambray straws. Martín Cruz is an award-winning artisan who lives in the state of Querétaro and creates wicker figures.

The mastermind behind the brand, Mariana works closely with all her artisans on designing, prototyping and production, spending time with them on understanding exactly their techniques and soaking in the knowledge they’ve been passing down through generations.

Meet The Artisans

Petate

Mexico

Featured collection

Medium Mary Handwoven Basket

Large Mary Handwoven Basket

Isaura Handwoven Floor Lamp

Popotillo Pinewood Coat Hooks - Set of 2

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