Huipile collection

Huipile: Where Art, Heritage and Fashion Tell a Story

By Debbie Hall
Photos courtesy of Huipile

A huipil is a traditional garment worn by Indigenous women in Mexico and Central America, often distinguished by its handwoven construction, intricate embroidery, symbolic designs and regional patterns. More than clothing, a huipil can communicate identity, community, history and cultural heritage.

Selene Garnica's love for textiles began in childhood and grew through travels around Mexico with her mother, Blanca Palazuelos. Together, they visited markets and met local artisans who created the pieces. Her mother had huipiles and rebozos but never treated them like baubles because of their deep cultural significance. She proudly wears them, carefully choosing how to pair and drape each one.

“Watching her taught me that a textile can become part of a woman’s identity and presence,” said Garnica, who created Huipile, a brand that brings traditional textile craftsmanship into the modern world.

“What I can confidently say is that my experience in buying and sourcing taught me to understand origins, evaluate quality and seek relationships that are based on trust and a sustainable balance for the artisan, workshop, brand and client,” she said.

Her exploration of textile traditions extends from Oaxaca and Chiapas in Mexico to Guatemala and Turkey. What she finds interesting about different cultures is the visual language they express through the materials used to create their textiles and the techniques involved.

“My selection process is very personal,” she noted, explaining that her nearly two-decade career in retail has shaped the way she makes her choices.

With Huipile’s collection, Garnica highlights Uzbek silk velvet ikat handbags paired with handmade shoes. Each bag has a distinctive appearance because the patterned fabric is woven and cut individually. As a result, the placement of the pattern varies, meaning even pieces made from the same textile will not look exactly alike.

Huipile’s next goal moves beyond fashion and into the home, with plans for a brick-and-mortar boutique where people feel as though they are traveling through textiles. While she is not offering these items at the present time, Garnica is beginning to explore suzani embroidery, kilim rugs, Indian hand-block printing and Kashmiri textiles.

“The phrase that best captures this vision for me is ‘a journey through the world’s looms.’ I want women to feel beautiful and distinctive when they wear Huipile, but I also want them to feel connected to the hands that created the piece, to the culture behind it and perhaps even to something within themselves. For me, that is the true meaning of our phrase: Crafted with art, carried with meaning.”

For more information, visit huipile.com.