Vestido Melania

This beautiful piece is completely handmade via pedal loom and features intricate cross-stitch embroidery by Purépecha artisans from the Michoacán Sierra. 

"We weave our own canvases, and we embroider on them. By acquiring one of our pieces, you are wearing our memory and heritage; we want you to take them with you and show off our traditions; it doesn't matter if you use a classic huanengo or one of our most current proposals; they all represent who are we."

Please note all pieces are handmade, therefore, no item will be alike. All designs vary and range in colors!

• Color: Black
• Material: Cotton
• Time of elaboration: 4 weeks
  
• Embroidery: Cross-stitch embroidery
• Region: Sierra
• Technique: pedal loom, cross-stitch
• Iconography: Embroidery is representative of Purépecha culture, the flora and fauna, Las Yácatas, known as the ancient pyramids located in Tzintzuntzan, a Mesoamerican historic site, as well as the stars.
• Specification: Hand-dyed cotton dress woven on a pedal loom featuring traditional iconography
  
• Care Instructions: Your garment took weeks of work to be ready and went through many hands, so it must be treated with great respect. It is recommended to wash item by hand, preferably with gentle soap, air dry in the shade away from the sun, and never use the dryer. Finally, we remind you that these are garments to wear with great pride; that is the best way to honor the artisan hands involved.

The cotton is hand-dyed and then weaved on a pedal loom to create the beautiful cloth, and finally, the artisans hand-embroider beautiful traditional iconography. It is important to note the artisans create their own cloth via the pedal loom, and no industrial fabrics are utilized.

Each of these pieces goes through a path of approximately four weeks of work where many hands and a lot of love are involved and are encouraged to be carried by you with great pride. Each garment will include a tag with the name of the artisan whose work you are supporting.

Every year in Uruapan, the Feria Artesanal serves as a cornerstone for Michoacán's artisan community, traditionally providing the main source of income for local artisans. However, in 2020, the global pandemic forced the cancellation of this vital event, leaving artisans without a platform to showcase or sell their crafts. It was in response to this challenge that Tsanda was born.

Launched as a non-profit initiative, Tsanda emerged with the mission of supporting artisan families by promoting and selling their handcrafted textiles through social networks. What began as a grassroots effort to restore lost income quickly gained momentum. By September of the same year, the overwhelming support for the project led to the official founding of Tsanda as a brand, with the goal of sharing a piece of Michoacán's rich artisan heritage with the world.

Today, Tsanda has evolved into more than just a marketplace for handmade textiles—it has become a driving force of inspiration, preservation, and respect for Purépecha culture. The project has not only provided a stable source of work for artisans but also fostered economic independence for these families. Currently, 12 artisan families across seven different communities collaborate with Tsanda, and the project continues to grow with a vision of incorporating even more families and integrating a diverse range of traditional textile techniques.

By empowering artisans and celebrating the cultural richness of Michoacán, Tsanda aims to take these extraordinary crafts to all corners of the world, allowing each piece to carry the story of its people and the traditions they cherish.

"Tsanda we are the daughters, mothers, and grandmothers of the Purépecha culture. We reflect our hereditary knowledge of many years of history with each thread and each stitch that we capture in our textiles.

With our embroideries, the light of the family tradition is kept alive; that is why each Tsanda piece is made to be worn with great pride. We feel a deep affection for our roots, the Purépecha culture, and the place where we grew up; Michoacán.

Being able to transmit this immense love in each garment is what makes our hearts beat stronger and stronger."