TAUTA’s fashion and interior items are backed by home and passion. Zurich-based María Lorez brings a piece of Colombia to Switzerland with her traditionally woven fans, colorful baskets and beaded clutches and bracelets.
FACES: How did your label TAUTA come about?
María Lorez: Out of homesickness and longing for my native Colombia. My mother and I had the idea of bringing Colombian design to Europe for a long time. When I was pregnant with my first son, I knew that the time had come to set up my own business and search for my roots.
F: What was the first product you realized for TAUTA?
ML: Napkins with flora and fauna embroidery.
F: What moment changed everything?
ML: There were a few. For example, when one of our craftsmen told me very proudly that he could send his son to university because he had saved up the money he needed through his work at TAUTA. I was very touched to know that we were doing the right thing. Two encounters also encouraged me to keep going. One was quite early on, when I took part in the first Maison&Objet trade fair in Paris. Suddenly a petite blonde woman stood in front of me and said that my products stood out and had that certain something, that I should get in touch with her assistant, that we should do something together. When I realized that it was Delia Lachance Fischer, the founder of Westwing, my heart sank. In the meantime, I have been able to sell several times via their platform. I had another wow moment last year when Estefania Lacayo, one of the co-founders of LAFS, the global platform for South American brands, wrote to me on Instagram and outed herself as our fan. We very much hope that they will open more doors for us.
F: How do you understand sustainable action?
ML: In terms of my work, I invest in long-term employment relationships. My company relies on traditional craftsmanship. The artesanos (craftsmen) should be able to practise their craft, which has been passed down through generations, in an authentic way. Together we optimize the processes, but they determine the remuneration they need for the work. Working conditions are also important to us, which led, for example, to the donation of chairs to Artesanos in a very poor region in the south of Colombia. They previously had no place to sit to carry out their craft. In many families, the mother is the main breadwinner. In order to reconcile childcare and work, we work together to ensure that she can do her work at home. With TAUTA, we support the preservation of traditional crafts and their practice adapted to today’s way of life in Colombia.
F: How do you live sustainability?
ML: Recycling, composting and food waste are important topics for us, we educate our children to consume consciously and to be grateful for our resources.
F: Do you know all the hands your products pass through?
ML: Oh yes, every single hand! My annual trips to Colombia allow me to build up a close relationship with the craftsmen. Together, we implement the TAUTA design ideas in production, which is a lot of fun and also creates trust. Quality control and shipping to Switzerland are carried out by the local Colombian TAUTA team.
F: How do you find your producers, and what is the challenge in doing so?
ML : In the beginning, it was very difficult to build up a basis of trust because I don’t live locally. I found the first craftsmen through the ProColombia organization. A state organization that introduces craftsmen and designers to each other and assists both sides with problems or questions in any area. Our craftsman base is now growing organically through recommendations from existing craftsmen. We are currently working with five different studios from different regions of Colombia.
F: Why is it apparently so much easier for small labels to produce sustainably than for large corporations?
ML: We have a small selection of products and also small production quantities and work directly with the artesanos who use local raw materials. Everything is very clear. We clearly distinguish ourselves from fast fashion.
“In Colombia, everything is different from what we know here.”
F: What do you do when you’re not inspired?
ML: I cook all sorts of things! Inspiration comes through my nose, I start thinking about this and that trip, and then I’m back in my movie.
F: What are you like as a boss?
ML: You’d have to ask my team. (laughs) There are now two permanent employees, three freelancers and the craftsmen, who number between five and 30 people in Colombia, depending on the order. I always try to be the boss I would have wanted to be myself in the past. A fair and motivating person who gives employees confidence! Having a team of professionals is a blessing.
F: What is your favorite place in Zurich?
ML: The circle 4. It is the pulse of the city! The idyllic bakery, the cool restaurants and bars, the super-modern Europaallee and yes, the crazy Langstrasse. I lived in circles 4 and 5 for almost ten years, what a time!
F: What do you miss about Colombia?
ML: The thousands of fruits. The loud music on every corner. The green of the meadows – it is different from what we know here.
F: Where could the Swiss take an example from the Colombians?
ML: To be more patriotic. I miss the pride of country and craftsmanship. I love traditional costumes, typical music and food.
F: Where do your Colombian roots show, and where are you a Zurich native through and through?
ML : My reflection in the mirror reminds me every morning that I was born far away between coffee hills. I always try to spread a good mood and put a smile on people’s faces! My son can confirm that I don’t drive without loud music. (laughs) From Zurich? I love the Sächsilüüte and the Sprüngli. Swiss? I keep my word, even if sometimes a little late, the Colombian comes through again. (laughs)
F: You promote traditional handicrafts with TAUTA. Which one fascinates you the most?
ML: Weaving with the Kamentsa people in the south of Colombia. Her work not only involves a weaving frame, but also a great deal of spirituality, gratitude and skill.
F: What traditions do you celebrate yourself?
ML: I try to pass on my love of both countries and cultures to my sons. To be open and curious and not to be ashamed of anything or to be too cool. We celebrate Easter, Sächsilüüte, 1. August, Santa Claus and Christmas, as well as Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). And as soon as the children are a little older, we will celebrate the Novenas de Aguinaldo in December, which is a wonderful Catholic Advent custom.
F: What makes an apartment a home?
ML: For me, the feeling of being at home has a lot to do with personal mementos. These are objects and items of clothing that I have owned for a long time, and the familiar smell of furniture or food is just as important to me.
F: What are you fighting for?
ML: I don’t fight, but I strive to leave a positive footprint on this planet.
F: What would you never give up?
ML: My independence and dreaming.
F: What do you think about too much, and what should you think about more?
ML: Will I raise my sons to be good people? I should think more about my bookkeeping.
Q: Why is our society failing?
ML: Our selfishness and lack of empathy!
F: What do you cook for guests and which dish do you cook for yourself?
ML: Tarte flambée made according to my good friend Marina’s recipe, served with a garden salad. When I’m alone, my favorite thing to do is order sushi, unfortunately this only happens every few years…
F: What adventure do you dream of?
ML: Living in Colombia with my three husbands for a longer period of time. I have totally visualized it and am waiting for the opportunity.
F: How old would you be if you didn’t know your age? And what gets better the older you get?
ML: About 120, I was born with an old soul! I’m becoming more relaxed, the stress of missing something is over for me, it feels right to be where I am right now!
F: What do you treat yourself to?
ML: All those little treatments that most women love so much: getting their nails done or their hair done and so on.
F: What question should we have asked you?
ML : How do you put up with these three firecrackers at home? (laughs)
María Lorez
In her colorful kimonos, printed dresses or hand-woven hats, María Lorez always adds a splash of color to Zurich’s streets. The Zurich-based designer, who was born in the Colombian highlands and grew up in Pereira, moved to Switzerland as a child and founded her own label TAUTA here in 2015. What began with interior items and colorful home accessories now also includes items of clothing that Lorez herself wears. She works with artisans from Colombia to produce her products, celebrating traditional handicrafts that find their way into our homes in the form of stylish bags, colorful ceramics or cushions. María Lorez lives in Zurich with her husband and two boys, although she regularly travels to Colombia for inspiration and for her work.
www.tauta-home.com
