Our Story and Mission
“Let’s Keep Our Traditions Alive”
Our Story
Montsera Collective is all about slowing down and acknowledging beauty in every little detail. With quick access to everything, we have lost that part of connecting with our roots and making conscious purchasing decisions that have a positive social, economic, and environmental impact.
We have been inspired by our travels to seek out garments that can be worn all year round for any occasion, creating versatile statement pieces that embody Mexican design in a contemporary and sophisticated way. Each garment is thoughtfully crafted with intricate details and timeless silhouettes that will make you feel elegant and chic.
What started as an adventure, traveling through different communities in Chiapas and Oaxaca in search of talented artisans, became a beautiful collaboration with different groups of women pursuing a common goal to grow together doing what we are most passionate about.
Now, we are currently working with a group of Master Artisans from 9 communities in Chiapas, Oaxaca, Jalisco and Campeche.
Our Founder
Karla Murguia
I was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico. My free spirit, passion for travel, and desire to immerse myself in different cultures has led me to live in many exciting and magical places around the world.
My love for fashion brought me to New York, where I studied postgraduate courses at Parsons and the Fashion Institute of Technology. A few years later, I earned a Fashion Design diploma at Central Saint Martins in London.
The experience of working in the fashion industry opened my eyes to some of the industry’s unethical practices. I saw first-hand the scant wages, and the quality shortcuts to make clothing more disposable. This led me to appreciate the hard work that goes into the making of handmade garments and made me want to create unique designs in an ethical and transparent way that considers both people and the planet.
With this purpose in mind, I started a collective design project to help female artisans earn fair wages for themselves and their communities, while preserving and celebrating their textile traditions, heritage, and cultural wealth through the creation of contemporary designs.
Our Mission
Monstera Collective was conceived with the purpose of spreading the distinct style of handcrafted artwork from Mexican artisans and sharing our heritage with the rest of the world.
We are committed to creating our pieces in an environmentally sustainable way while preserving ancestral techniques, honoring timeless traditions, and encouraging future generations to continue their traditions.
People over Profit – This is our philosophy and what drives our business, by supporting our artisans so they can live in harmony with their families, communities and nature.
Our mission is to improve the quality of life for our artisans, by providing sustainable and constant work throughout the year so that they have a steady income and can continue to support their families and communities. For our project to grow, we must continue to build and reinforce our value of trust, always guaranteeing fair wages and ethical work.
We are a women-owned brand, currently collaborating with around 125 women from four states of Mexico. Our goal for the future is to expand our designs by introducing new techniques and positively impact the financial stability of more families and communities.
