The Mexican Designers I Wear
A personal guide to shopping fashion in Mexico City — the brands I love and where to find them
Even though I’ve lived here for years, I’ve never stopped thinking about Mexican design as a category. It is as varied and versatile as you would imagine, with options that range from indigenous-inspired linen to avant garde and edgy. These are the designers I follow and wear, but the list is in no way exhaustive. These are great places to look for something unique to take home, that will remind you of your visit every time you wear it — and you will wear it because many of these pieces are made in Mexico but can be worn anywhere.
What follows is a personal list. These are the designers I follow, the pieces I own, and the places I go when I want to browse. Some of them you find by walking into a boutique. Some you find in a multi-brand store in Polanco. Some you find at a design shop in Mérida, and then on their website.
Sandra Weil
AV. HORACIO 907, POLANCO · SANDRAWEIL.COM · ALSO MONTERREY AND MÉRIDA
I first found Sandra Weil at her old shop near Parque Lincoln — wandered in, saw the beaded bustiers, and didn’t leave quickly. She does these whimsical, eye-catching pieces that are hard to describe without sounding like you’re overselling them, so I’ll just say: they stop you in the middle of a rack.
Since then I’ve followed her on social media, check the new seasons on her website, and occasionally stop into the new shop on Horacio. I have pants, blouses, and a t-shirt from her, but she’s at her best for events. A few of her bustiers and matching sets have gone to weddings with me. During the pandemic she did a run of loungewear — knit sweatpants with a great fit, and a jumpsuit in a silky bright fabric that managed to feel like pajamas and put-together at the same time.
The signature piece worth knowing: the Tuna Skirt. She makes it in different fabrics and patterns with each new collection — the same silhouette, always full-length, always recognizable. It’s listed as an Iconic Piece on her site for a reason. If you see one in a fabric you like, it’s worth getting.
Sandra Weil is Peruvian by origin, but established in Mexico City since 2012. She has stores in Polanco, Monterrey, and on Paseo de Montejo in Mérida. Also ships online.
sandraweil.com · Av. Horacio 907, Polanco
Raquel Orozco
EMILIO CASTELAR 227, POLANCO · RAQUELOROZCO.COM
Also found on a walk — her boutique is on Emilio Castelar in Polanco, the same street as Dante restaurant, and if you’re browsing Polanquito you’ll walk past it. I went in for the first time the same reason I go into most boutiques: because something in the window caught my attention.
What I keep coming back for are her blouses for work. They’re feminine and distinctive without crossing into anything that doesn’t read as professional. That’s a harder balance than it sounds. I’ve worn her blouses to meetings and presentations and always felt like I’m wearing something special, not just dressed.
She does full tea-length skirts with three-dimensional floral motifs — those pieces photograph beautifully and read as special occasion. I have a skirt from an older collection in black with peach, orange, and red panels that I’ve worn for nice dinners out and dressed down with a t-shirt and sneakers. She also does pencil skirts, blazers, slacks, and dresses for events.
She has a current campaign called Mexico Bonito with t-shirts and sweatshirts that I have my eye on. Check the website or the boutique — the campaign pieces are worth seeing in person.
Open Monday to Saturday 10:30am–8pm, Sunday 10:30am–6pm.
raquelorozco.com · Emilio Castelar 227, Polanco · Mon–Sat 10:30am–8pm, Sun 10:30am–6pm
Cynthia Buttenklepper
ROMA · BY APPOINTMENT · CYNTHIABUTTENKLEPPER.COM
I found her simultaneously — online first, then a piece at a multi-brand boutique, then eventually a visit to her showroom in Roma by appointment. She helped me herself that day, which is not something you expect when you show up to a designer’s studio, and her staff have been consistently good. When the buttons on one of her pieces broke, they replaced them for me.
Her clothes are not safe. That’s not a criticism — it’s what makes them interesting. The cuts are unique, the fabrics are unusual, and with each piece I find I either love it completely or think it wouldn’t work on my body. There is rarely middle ground. The corduroy silk blouse with wide sleeves and a high neck was the first piece I bought from her, and it’s still a favorite in my closet.
From her I also have a skirt, a dark green cotton jumpsuit that can be dressed up or down depending on the shoes, and a light purple backless dress with a beautiful drape that I’ve worn to several events. The older collections are worth looking for — she also sells online and ships, though her site is currently being renewed. If you see a piece online you’re interested in, do reach out. In my experience, her team is responsive.
cynthiabuttenklepper.com · Roma · Showroom visits by appointment
Lorena Saravia
ROMA NORTE · LORENASARAVIA.COM
Lorena Saravia is one of the most recognized Mexican designers working today — in 2025 she became the first Mexican designer to collaborate with H&M, and Forbes Mexico named her one of the hundred most powerful women in the country. Her studio is on Álvaro Obregón in Roma Norte.
I’ve worn many of her pieces over the years: skirts, dresses for events, and a t-shirt with catchy phrases like HUEVOS A LA MEXICANA printed on them that I also used to give as gifts to friends visiting from abroad. She recently brought out a similar t-shirt that you can shop here. I don’t have recent pieces from her current collections, but the brand is active and worth following. Her aesthetic is clean, strong silhouettes with a distinctly Mexican edge — the H&M collaboration made that legible to a much wider audience. She also has an iconic boot design that she brings out in different heights, finishes and colors every season.
lorenasaravia.com · Álvaro Obregón 154, Roma Norte
The Designers Worth Knowing, Even If the Aesthetic Isn’t Yours
Carla Fernández
Carla Fernández is the original. She has been working with traditional Mexican craft techniques and indigenous artisan communities for decades, and the cut of her clothing is genuinely flattering across a wide range of bodies. I don’t own any of her pieces — the aesthetic hasn’t aligned with my personal style — but her place in Mexican fashion is unchallenged. It’s worth stopping into her shop on Alvaro Obregón if you’re in the area.
carlafernandez.com · Alvaro Obregón 200, Roma Norte
Yakampot
Yakampot works in natural fibers — linen, cotton — and does extraordinary things with pleats. The blouses are beautiful and the pant designs are unusual in the best way. Their aesthetic is rooted in traditional Mexican clothing techniques, which gives the pieces a specificity that separates them from generic linen basics.
I had a white blouse and a black linen jacket from them. The jacket was a bit tight and went to a more petite friend, who looks great in it. The white blouse had a good run before it went the way of white blouses.
You can find Yakampot at the Museo Tamayo gift shop in Chapultepec (accessible without museum admission), at Arroz con Leche in Pasaje Parian in Polanco, among other shops throughout the city, and at their website.
yakampot.com.mx · Main showroom at Calle Salvatierra 45, Lomas de Chapultepec, but available at several boutiques throughout the city.
Olmos & Flores
Based in Guadalajara. They take traditional inspiration from Jalisco and make it feel current — the designs can be revealing, which is not for everyone, but they work with it deliberately rather than accidentally. I ordered a dress from them for a wedding: orange cotton, open on the sides with buckle details, a palm tree embroidered in black beading on the front. It gets extra attention every time I wear it. I have several other pieces from them, from a dress and blouse in a traditional fabric from Jalisco, to a very short sundress that is so fun — if you like your legs.
Casilda Mut
I found her at a boutique in Mérida. She does linen pieces inspired by the huipil — the traditional garment of the Yucatán and Oaxaca — but with gathered silhouettes and details that make them feel designed rather than folkloric. I have one linen blouse with a red stitching detail that I wear regularly. Her dresses are beautiful and made for hot weather, which in Mérida is most of the year.
Alexia Ulibarri
Her designs are interesting and she has a following. The aesthetic has never lined up with mine, so I don’t own any of her pieces, but she’s worth knowing if you’re looking beyond the designers above. Her pieces are edgy, and you will love them if your fashion role model is Emma Stone in Cruella. She does tule skirts, graphic t-shirts and plays with texture and pattern in a way that is fun and very fashion forward. The t-shirts she brought out for the World Cup are on my to-shop list — they have a great design.
Where to Browse
If you don’t know where to start, these multi-brand stores are the best way to discover Mexican design without committing to a single boutique. Each one has its own curatorial eye.
Ikal
Polanco. Carries Roth Malêre, Yakampot, and many others. The edit is thoughtful — this is not a department store, it’s a selection. Worth visiting slowly.
ikalstore.com · Ave. Presidente Mazaryk 340A, Polanco
Lago
Also Polanco. Similar register to Ikal — curated Mexican and Latin American design across clothing, accessories, and home. Their pieces lean into natural fibers and indigenous inspiration, where Ikal is a bit more fashion forward.
Proyecto República
Roma Norte. A different edit from the Polanco stores, leaning younger and more experimental. Worth knowing if you’re already in the neighborhood.
Beyond these, the Roma and Condesa neighborhoods have enough independent boutiques that wandering without a specific destination is a reasonable strategy. Several of the designers above are also stocked at multi-brand stores I haven’t been to — and new ones open regularly.
Accessories
PAAR
Woman-owned, based in Mexico City. They do silver jewelry with unique designs that are wearable rather than purely decorative — the distinction matters more than it sounds. I wear a silver ring and bracelet from them regularly, and also have silver ear cuffs and diamond climber earrings. They do custom designs, too, which is worth knowing if you have something specific in mind.
Roth Malêre
Whimsical, artisanal heels. Each pair takes over thirty hours and four artisans to make, using Mexican materials. Founded by Alma García. I found mine at Ikal in Polanco — they are high, they are beautiful, and I wear them less often than I wish I could. Stocked at Ikal and online.
rothmalere.com · Ikal, Polanco
Gagbag
Minimalist accessories in a range of colors. I have a passport holder from them that has been in use long enough to be a recommendation on its own.
Keep an eye out at the larger design boutiques, they are stocked in several. I have not found their team to be very responsive when looking for specific pieces.
Which Mexican designers do you follow? I’m always looking to add to the list.
