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CL Journal

The Oaxaca-Made Mañanita

The Oaxaca-Made Mañanita

A Study in Old World Clothing 


Our naturally-dyed and hand-stitched Oaxaca Mañanitas - chic, colorful, practical, and unique - obtain their form from the historical Quechquemitl, a clothing style originating in central Mexico in the pre-Hispanic period.   Often called “mañanitas” for their use in the early mornings when temperatures are cooler, the garment is unique only to Mexico and has been in production for hundreds of years.   

The weaving of these garments was done in pre-conquest times on the backstrap loom - two pieces always stitched together, never cut - as this would destroy the integrity of the work.    The style represents the old-world creation of clothing and the sacred nature of weaving specific to indigenous groups in Mexico.   


Honoring the Sacred in Textile Creation 


When we embarked on our CL Journey in 2019, we knew we wanted to incorporate the unique and special textile traditions of Mexico into our product offerings.  The workmanship of the pedal loom, and that of natural dyes goes hand-in-hand with our slow fashion goals, our desire to protect artisan traditions, and our love of all things made in small runs.  And, as the creative process goes, a visit to a noted weaver’s workshop allowed for a viewing of a certain style - the Quechquemitl - that was immediately a catalyst, inspiration, for a collaboration that - after two years of deliberate investigation and experimentation - is now the Cornelia Lively Mañanita collection.   


What Makes our Mañanitas Special 


In Mexico, you will see many different, beautiful versions of the Quechquemitl - some cotton with embroidery, some with synthetic threads, or lined, and some with naturally dyed cotton.   Our collaboration with the phenomenal husband and wife team of Tenido A Mano allowed us to create a cotton and wool blend that is soft, thick, and easy to care for.   Most of all, the expert dying techniques of both Elsa Diaz and Rubi Martinez - especially their joy and love of the process - create stunning results in each and every piece.    


What Old World Values Mean to Us Now 


With an ever-worrisome challenge of stress on our environment, decision making around our purchases hold more power and meaning than ever.  Current clothing production practices create enormous pollution and waste world-wide; however, the facts are simple - we need clothing, and we want to express beauty, our personalities, and our sense of style through clothing.  So, what choices can we make around clothing that satisfy our desire to act responsibly and look and feel good?  We look to old world values as a place worth exploring. 

The mañanita is a lovely and important example of clothing produced without waste - there are no cuttings that go in landfills - no buttons, zippers - no unnatural dyes.   The garment truly is one of the purest you could conceive in terms of almost zero environmental impact.  Add the fact that each mañanita is truly a “family affair,” with all contributing their unique expertise - dying the wool, setting the loom, or stitching the two pieces of the mañanita together by hand - the garment becomes an important conversation between cultures, arriving here to us in the US infused with the humanity and soul of individual and personal creation.  The antithesis of fast fashion, indeed. 


Integrating an Artisan-Made Mañanita in Your Modern Wardrobe 

 

You are a modernist at heart, loving the monochromatic, the chic, the high-impact style that is the stuff of Vogue and Elle.  How do you integrate an artisan piece into your wardrobe?  How do you make it work?  That’s the beauty of these new generation works being produced in Oaxaca.  The desire is to integrate the century-old techniques with current fashion sensibilities.  The result of our work, collaboration, design, and experimentation is to create pieces that complement a modern palette - extend and excite what you already own, and most of all, add unique flare and elegance to your wardrobe in a new tradition, one that must honor sustainable choices above all else.  


Keep it Real.   Keep it Artisan. 


So, welcome to the new world of Artisan Fashion, beautifully represented by our CL Mañanita.   In deep indigo, cochineal, marigold, pecan, mahogany, and pomegranate, our pedal loom mañanitas are wardrobe heirlooms.   Made in the gardens of our beautiful artisan families in Oaxaca, where birds and butterflies delight the senses, these special garments are a true gift.   

 

Made with love in Oaxaca,

 

Team CL 

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The Little Black Dress Goes Eco

The Little Black Dress Goes Eco
So, our goal in the creation of our beloved City Dress, along with offering a sustainable wardrobe builder, is also offering an elegant monochromatic palette, one augmented by our unique, artisan-made CL products.   After all, by celebrating the individual, the hand-made, and the unique style that is yours, you also give others the gift of “telling your own story”.    Continue reading

Oaxaca, Weaving, and Cornelia Lively

Oaxaca, Weaving, and Cornelia Lively

Sometimes you take an unexpected path toward a beautiful new reality.  CL may have started with jewelry, but through the process of studying the factors we face in the business of fashion, a firm commitment to production of sustainable clothing and accessories for women was born. For us, nothing could be more important than including natural dyes, artisan works, and small run designs in our collections.  For this reason, we found ourselves headed to one of the most respected places in the world for authenticity and excellence in artisan textiles:  Oaxaca, Mexico.

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On Finding Your Tribe

On Finding Your Tribe
Finding your tribe is a gift, one that oftentimes is created by the magic of those connectors out there who love making introductions that have lasting impact.  For those of us who were asked to join the sustainability and fashion panel at TARRA Denver this month, a bit of that magic occurred, as a lovely group of hard working entrepreneurs found common ground, common hopes, and common inspiration. Continue reading

The Artisans

The Artisans

If asked about the “why” - or the joy -  behind Cornelia Lively, there would be more than one.   Most of all, my family and I have an equally shared love of handmade goods.  The feel, the look, the spirit of the work that is rendered by hand, all makes for a treasure.  The minds, beating hearts, hopes and visions, disappointments and challenges, and sheer, raw talent behind every piece we make - that is our why.   

Sitting down with the artisans who actually melt the silver, cut from a sheet of metal, or thread the impossibly massive loom ... they are the ones we want to hear from.  Will our designs work?  Will the designs honor the process itself?  What do you think would work best?  Look best?  That’s the beauty - our endless collaboration. That’s the why. 

And the good news?  We are just getting going.  Our team, despite Covid, despite delays and lack of needed materials, is as devoted as ever to their craft and their work.  They see that what they do is larger than just their own lives, for when they share their generationally learned talents with those of us in different lives, worlds, communities, they see a bridge is built... and that in and of itself is joy.  A pretty good "why". 

XO,

EH 

 

 

¨History has remembered the kings and warriors, because they destroyed,  art has remembered the people, because they created.¨

-William Morris 

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It all started in San Miguel.

It all started in San Miguel.

That is why we introduce Cornelia Lively in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, a place some say is sheer magic. I would agree, as my time there in 1996 proved there may very well be a force field of creative good underneath the charming cobblestone streets. Perhaps the church bells awakening me each morning, blooming Jacaranda trees spilling purple shade over ochre walls…mariachis in the central garden at night…created a gravitational pull, but one thing was for certain, a spell was cast. My plan was to stay two weeks. I stayed a year.

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