office had a chance to sit down with Patricia and discuss her recent launch, her favorite folktales, and more.
What parts of Mexico City do you hope translate to wearers through your work?
It’s funny because I didn’t necessarily design these with the intention of transmitting some part of Mexico or Mexico City to its wearers. The other day, though, my boyfriend said that they look quite Mexican in a way he hadn’t thought about. I asked him what he meant and he sent me a reference of an Oaxacan vase and a picture of the Aztec calendar. He said they weren’t the perfect references but something in that vein. It confirmed a similar, abstract thought that I had about them: they had this unintentional Mexican essence in their visual language, in their DNA. I guess if I had to choose a part of Mexico I’d go for somewhere deep inside a pyramid in Teotihuacan — some place that existed through ritual and gore.
What about not being factory-made enriches your designs? Can you dive into the intricacy and intention that goes into each handbag?
Everything! Each piece is unique; no two are the same. There are variations in terms of shine or dullness and detail because they’re sculpted and finished by hand. I find that pieces like these have a soul and an energy that isn’t felt in something that originated from a factory. It’s more of a wearable sculpture at the end of the day. They were born out of days and days at a foundry (where the aluminum part is made) and at a studio (where the leather part is made) fine-tuning every detail. I also made some sort of unspoken vow that whatever I did create, I would do so in Mexico, alongside my people. That in itself has its pros and its cons, but all things considered, I wouldn’t ever change that.
As a creative director in the music space and previous experience at Vogue and Elle Mexico, what did you take with you from those experiences and bring to NIINFA?
I would say I’ve gotten really good at story-telling and visual campaigns around an idea, a brand, or an EP. That will probably come across all NIINFA-related visual assets.
























