Dalia Pascal

SPECIALTIES
- Handbags and jewelry

Dalia Pascal was born in Montevideo, Uruguay.  She moved to Mexico when she was a teenager.  She says, "This event changed my life forever.  The explosion of colors, scents, textures, handicrafts and music changed my perspective of life, and made me realize that I wanted to be a designer when I grew up."

She obtained a degree in Graphic Design from the Universidad del Nuevo Mundo in Mexico, where she began experimenting with the treatment of silver.

In 2004 Dalia started her company with a trendy fashion accessory line combining Tibetan jewelry with her own designs.  She did not think of it as a business, it was more of a hobby.  Seeing people's reaction towards her designs, Dalia felt it was time to show people what she was capable of.  Dalia showed her designs to the Director of the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico who told her she loved them but why didn't Dalia see the beauty that surrounded her.   After this discussion Dalia began to realize the materials she had available to her in Mexico were really special and unique.  With her touch, she could transform these materials into unique pieces with a classic ethnic style but very fashionable at the same time.

She approached local artisans and developed together with them pieces that maintain their ethnic richness, but have a fashion forward feeling using her sophisticated manufacturing techniques.

Dalia later launched a fashion handbag line using old worn Indian dresses and blouses that mostly come from Mexico and Guatemala.  All of these textiles are hand woven with the traditional backstrap loom.  The dresses and blouses are originally made for each person who wears it, but after a while they sell them.  Dalia uses these textiles and combines them with leather, suede, patent leather and embroiders them with seed beads.  Upon completion it is difficult to image that the textile is a recycled piece of cloth.  Most of the materials used to create Dalia's designs are eco friendly. 

Dalia uses fair trade practices and buys products directly from the people who make them.  The production of traditional handicrafts is dying in Mexico due to the underpaid labor used to create them.  Together with government entities, Dalia has obtained funds to train the children of the artisans so they can continue the tradition of ethnic handicraft production.  She offers them constant work and inspires them to achieve their goals.

At the moment Dalia continues working and creating new lines of accessories and divides her time between Mexico, Miami, Guatemala and the many villages she travels to in search of new materials and ideas.