In the cozy corner of her Pleasant Grove home, Lucina Montañez Mota breathes life into her jewelry business, Motcy Designs.
At her dining table, she collaborates with two artisans, crafting intricate earrings for her new bridal collection.
The trio skillfully twists copper wires around lustrous pearls, creating pieces filled with passion and care.
Mota believes that true artisanship comes from making art with heart, a philosophy that shines through in her work.
Mota is part of a vibrant community on Cadena Collective, an online marketplace based in Dallas that supports Latin American artisans.
Founded by sisters Alejandra and Mabel Aguirre Jimenez, Cadena Collective connects customers with authentic Latin American artisanal products, ranging from clothing to jewelry and handbags.
The sisters recognized a lack of representation for Latin American culture in fashion, health, and beauty industries, prompting them to create Cadena as a response.
“Cadena is a response to that, to be able to provide beautiful, fashionable designs that represent our values, our community, our culture,” Alejandra explained.
The website serves as a one-stop shop where customers can find a variety of goods made by artisans, nearly half of whom are based in Mexico.
While Alejandra and Mabel handle business operations and marketing assistance, Cadena empowers artisans to reach broader audiences by sharing sales revenue with them.
One of Mota’s standout collections incorporates pieces of traditional Mexican Talavera pottery, modernized into trendy earrings like drop styles and hoops.
Cadena also features wedding dresses adorned with iconic embroidered flower designs reminiscent of traditional Mexican attire.
Additionally, shoppers can find handmade huanengos, which are traditional blouses from the Mexican state of Michoacán.
Alejandra’s journey embodies a merging of cultures; she moved to Pleasant Grove from Nochistlán, Zacatecas, Mexico, at the age of six.
Her experience has led her to contemplate authenticity in design.
For her, authenticity means blending both her Mexican roots and her American upbringing rather than choosing one over the other.
“It’s to be able to merge both worlds and to merge two cultures and to be authentically whole,” Alejandra stated.
Mota, too, is inspired by her dreams, where vivid jewelry designs come to her.
Waking up, she quickly sketches them out, aiming to produce pieces that elevate and celebrate Latin American culture.
She indicated that artisan goods from Mexico and Latin America are often dismissed as cheap souvenirs, contrary to their actual elegance and beauty.
“Imagine wearing it to a gala or a red carpet event, and people recognizing it as a beautiful Mexican or Latin American creation,” Mota said.
Alejandra has felt a deepened commitment to her work, viewing it as crucial to celebrating heritage and identity during tumultuous times.
“[I] have really dug my heels in to say, this work is even more important because our community is paying attention,” she remarked.
The current political climate has also prompted customers to support Cadena more fervently, particularly those who seek to uplift immigrant communities and communities of color.
Alejandra shared a recent message from a customer expressing a desire to buy from businesses like Cadena as a direct response to political happenings.
“I always say the pair of earrings or the dress won’t change the world, but the individual wearing them will,” she expressed.
As Cadena Collective flourishes, it highlights the quest for authenticity and connection to cultural roots, offering a platform for artisans like Mota to showcase their extraordinary talents.
This endeavor not only nurtures individual identities but also paves the way for a broader understanding and appreciation of Latin American artistry.
image source from：https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/2025/04/28/dallas-online-shop-cadena-collective-weaves-latin-american-culture-with-commerce/
