AOW INSIDER: A Conversation with Onoracasa

This week, I am delighted to feature an interview with Maggie Galton and Maria E Hagerman of Onoracasa, co-founders of one of the most beautiful artisanal brands I've come across in the market today based in Mexico City. I love how she gracefully blends exquisite craftsmanship, which speaks to culturally diverse craft techniques throughout Mexico, and elevates the artist's work by selling in their brick-and-mortar shop and online DTC site to a level that the craft and artists deserve through a keen eye and curation. Onoracasa has so much soul and beauty and strong relationships with its partners, and hope this can be a model for those in other countries to follow, as I feel their retail company has elevated the sector for those small, often unrecognized artists with exquisite museum quality products. Wholesale was a model they tried, which didn't work, and Maggie dives into that a little, where the trade and retail have been a focus for them. 

There has been a lot of talk about the artisanal fabric by the yard and reaching to the trade market, so I'm focusing on Onoracasa’s experience developing a successful artisanal fabric collection for Schumacher earlier this year. Maggie + Maria share insights, lessons learned, her experience, and her fave hidden, lesser-known spots in Mexico City, including films, eats, and reads. I hope you enjoy!

I love following the work of Onoracasa. It feels like you’ve really found a niche for your brand. After dabbling with wholesale, you made the decision to focus exclusively on retail. Can you tell us a little about that experience and what you learned from it?

At Onoracasa, we specialize in small-batch productions created in collaboration with our artisan partners. While our products are mainly sold in our shop or online, we also handle special orders and custom designs through our ONORA STUDIO department, catering to the hospitality industry, hotels, restaurants, and interior designers.

In the past few years, we have experienced an increasingly high demand from the hospitality industry. As a small team, we decided to focus more on this aspect of the business.

Moreover, our handcrafted products couldn't sustain attractive wholesale margins due to fair wages for our artisans. We offered a 10-15% discount, which is standard for the design industry, but it wasn't appealing enough to most wholesalers.

Ultimately, high volume contradicted the essence of handcrafted goods and our core values, which are centered around embracing the luxury of time and slow design. Wholesale took away the joy from our day-to-day operations.

How important was it for Onoracasa to have a physical retail presence as you made the transition away from wholesale business?

We firmly believe our retail space played a crucial role in our success at ONORA. Being pioneers in offering high-end curated artisanal designs in Mexico City, we garnered significant foot traffic. The beauty of the physical store combined with a curation of impeccably designed products as well as a knowledgeable sales team dedicated to sharing the stories and cultures of their creators, brought attention to our brand.

What investments had the strongest ROI as you grew your brand? 

Building a solid team has been one of our most valuable investments. We have a close-knit and supportive team, consisting mostly of very strong-minded women. A unified team has helped streamline our operations and allows things to run smoothly.

You recently collaborated with Schumacher on a beautiful new line of artisanal fabrics. Tell us a bit more about this project and what you learned from the process of partnership.

Working with Schumacher was both intimidating and enthralling. We learned a great deal from their team regarding product planning, production, and the creation of capsule collections. For our brand and artisan partners, this avenue offers substantial production over a more extended period, allowing us to balance other projects and personal commitments.

While the textile industry is challenging, collaborating with an already established and inclusive brand like Schumacher was advantageous. They showed genuine interest in learning about our makers, techniques, and materials used. They did not claim the designs as their own but rather included everything about the artisan collaborators and Onora in their marketing. For other artisan companies interested in this path, I would recommend similar collaborations with established brands to gain exposure in markets beyond their natural reach.

I see the world of interior design booming in the US and think there is a niche within the design market for artisanal goods. Do you agree, and what has been your strategy to reach more interior designers?

We absolutely agree that there is a niche for artisanal goods in the US interior design market. Interestingly, interior designers were some of our first clients, even before we opened our shop. Word of mouth has been our organic strategy and participating in events like Design Week Mexico City has connected us with both national and international interior designers and architects. Collaborations with themed exhibits and projects like Wanted Design NYC, Design House and Vision and Tradition CDMX have also been instrumental in expanding our reach.

What marketing and sales strategies have worked best for Onoracasa? 

Effective photography, engaging newsletters, and maintaining a relatable voice when communicating with our audience have been highly beneficial. However, we acknowledge that we still have room for improvement in this area.

For those visiting Mexico City, could you recommend some must-visit spots?

We love the old-school classic spots in Mexico City rather than the trendy ones popping up everywhere:

• Anthropology Museum, a must to understand the magnificence of Mexican culture.

• Franz Meyer Decorative Arts Museum, which offers relevant design exhibitions and spectacular permanent collections.

• The Museo de Culturas Populares in Coyoacan, followed by indulging in tostadas at the Coyoacan Market nearby.

• Quesadillas and antojitos at Lonchería María Isabel, popularly known as "Quesadillas María Isabel".

• Tacos al Pastor at Selene, tucked behind the Camino Real Hotel.

• Late afternoon Margaritas in the lush patio of the San Angel Inn.

• A laid-back beer and dominos at El Mirador Cantina.

• Exploring the Sunday morning Lagunilla Flea Market.

What’s an under-the-radar gem in Mexico that’s worth visiting?

Tlaxcala is an underrated gem with stunning topography, picturesque rolling hills, and breathtaking volcano peaks. The archeological site Cacaxtla and lavishly illustrated murals are mind-blowing. Night hikes organized around firefly migrations, beautifully woven wool sarapes, sotol fiber baskets, and delectable culinary dishes like mixote-lamb steamed in maguey paper served in a rich chile sauce make Tlaxcala a truly special destination.

Could you share some of your go-to sources of inspiration? What are your favorite books, movies, IG accounts?

Maggie:

Books:

Recent reads that left a strong impact on me are "On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous" by Ocean Vuong and "La Fiesta del Chivo/The Feast of the Goat" by Mario Vargas Llosa as well as “Anábasis Maqueta,” a book of poems by Carla Faesler.

Films:

In terms of films, I recommend classics like "City of God /Cidade de Deus," directed by Fernando Meirelles and "¡Vamonos con Pancho Villa!" directed by Fernando de Fuentes. I just watched “Women Talking” on my most recent flight and was completely floored by it.

IG Accounts:

As for IG accounts, I enjoy following @VueltaSur, @Maureenme, and @Luvialazo.

Maria:

Films:

I have so many – the documentary “Heart of Darkness”, “The Red Shoes”, “Amores Perros”. I recently watched “The Eight Mountains” and absolutely adored it.

Books:

García Márquez's "100 Years of Solitude" obviously, haha, Elena Garro’s "Recuerdos del Porvenir," "La última hora del último día" by Jordi Soler, and I’m currently reading "La Ciudad que nos inventa" (Mexico City Chronicles) by Héctor de Mauleón.

IG Accounts:

I always find interesting reflections in @_nitch, @slow_roads to remind me to slow down, @seojups wonderful young Mexican-Korean photographer, @tlatoani_ahuitzotl22 for interesting facts and stories about Mexico City, and @theworldofinteriors.

Lastly, in the spirit of wanderlust and travel, where do you dream of going next?

Maggie: I dream of exploring the Himalayan Kingdom of Ladakh.

Maria: I dream of hiking in Iceland.

For more info: Onoracasa