Mexican artisans sue Zara

Artisans from Aguacatenando , in Chiapas , have issued a lawsuit against the Spanish brand, Zara , for plagiarizing their traditional embroideries.

Their embroideries are worn in Aguacatenando by their inhabitants every day and are now sold in different parts of the world by Zara .

Thanks to a non-profit called “ Impacto ”, the artisans could issue the lawsuit after one their traditional embroideries were plagiarized by the Spanish brand.

Embroidery is not only an industry , but it's also important to emphasize that for many communities, it's a symbol of identity and consider that “it's disrespectful because those embroideries belong to our ancestors , they were taught to us by our grandparents. It's a tradition , it's not fair for them to copy them”, said María Méndez.

In the Aguacatenando community, 8 out of 10 women live in poverty and what they harvest is not enough. That's why their embroidery is so important, as it's the main income source.

María Méndez

, an artisan , says that the plagiarism “affects us greatly because people don't want to buy from us, they can find it in a store or say they look similar”.

Nevertheless, the difference with artisanal embroideries is that they're made by hand and take up to a week to complete; meanwhile, the commercial embroideries take minutes to make and are produced by machines.

In regards to prices, the difference is notable: a handmade embroidery costs MXN $400, although many times they have to sell it for MXN $200, and in a store, it would retail for MXN $599.

The plagiarism of the traditional Mexican designs is not new: according to Impacto, Oaxaca, Hidalgo, and Chiapas are the most affected states, as eight international brands have stolen their designs. The Inditex group, which owns Zara , has declined to comment.

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