Sustainable Textile For Interiors from Tramarte

Katrin

Interview with Ana. Ana is founder and designer of the Mexican brand Tramarte. They create sustainable textile products for homes.

Tramarte seeks to give a new approach to what it means to be “handmade”. At Tramarte, they take care of every part of the process, collaborating with artisans from Teotitlán del Valle, experts in the pedal loom. They create transcendent pieces, from cushions and tapestries, to rugs and table linens and always looking to innovate designs and materials, but at the same time respect Mexican heritage.

Hi Ana, I am very grateful to interview you for our interior design magazine Being. Can you, please, introduce yourself? 

Ana

I’m Ana, founder and designer at Tramarte. I currently live in Mexico City, and I studied Textile Design at Universidad Iberoamericana.

Katrin

How did the idea of creating sustanable textile company come to you? What was your inspiration?

Ana

I was still at University when I did a project with an at-risk community of women that lived close to my house. The idea was to teach them textile techniques that they could use for recreation and also to create products on their own and generate a second income. After finishing that project, I realized I loved collaboration and also creating pieces of my own. So I decided to start a brand dedicated to textiles for interiors.

Katrin

Tell us a few interesting, curious facts about your brand.

We work with artisans from Oaxaca where they are experts at working the pedal loom and using naturally dyed wool.

Ana

At Tramarte, we work with artisans from Oaxaca where they are experts at working the pedal loom and using naturally dyed wool. Our collaboration started with the pandemic, and have been working together ever since.

When I was still at University, I worked weekends on my brand and tried to grow it on my spare time as I was finishing my final exams.

Tramarte won a scholarship awarded by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, where they funded our project to keep on working with artisans and promoted our collaboration.

Katrin

What is your company vision? Which place does sustainability play in it?

Ana

Every product that we sell is handmade by designers and artisans. We take special care in selecting our materials, and we also work with Dying experts that use natural pigments such as Cochineal and Indigo. These come from natural resources like flowers and plants. 

Katrin

 Which materials do you use for your textile?

Ana

We mainly work with wool, cotton and jute. In order to create amazing color pallettes, we use natural dyes that go through a rigourus process to obtain the dye.

We have also worked with Sansevieria, Linen and palm.

Katrin

I am curious to know more about the manufacturing process. All your products made by hand?

Every product that we sell is handmade by designers and artisans. 

Ana

Artisans need to know a lot of chemistry to understand how different elements affect the color produced by each material. It’s important to change the dyes pH to change the hues.

Katrin

What is the most popular product in your store?

Ana

Our Transición III pillow is our best-seller. It is handmade in Oaxaca, and woven with cotton and jute. 

Katrin

Actually do you have a store in Mexico?

Ana

You can find us at Fika in La Roma Norte. But no store of our own. (yet!) 

Katrin

Can you deliver around the world? Or you are working locally in Mexico?

Ana

We ship only domestically on our own, but we work with a global  platform called The Nopo where they offer world-shipping.

Katrin

I want to ask a personal question. Which profession did you dream about when you were a kid?

Ana

When I was a kid, I wanted to study literature and become an editor!

Katrin

I believe together we can change the world for the better. Do you?:) What is your personal view on the future of our planet?

Ana

I feel we are at a critical point. That is why I focus on handmade sustainable textile products. We could offer better prices by buying something already processed and made under unethical circumstances, but through Tramarte I want to give a new meaning to what handmade actually means. There is always someone behind your product, who took the time and their expertise to transmit their knowledge and heritage through craft.