Every fall, Latin culture takes center stage during Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrating its rich history and deep influence across the country.
But for Cristina Lynch, the bright colors and intricate patterns woven into her childhood memories are worth honoring year-round.
Twelve years ago, Lynch was building a fashion career in New York when she felt a pull toward home, and toward her heritage.
“My mother’s Mexican, so I grew up in this house with beautiful Mexican art and this true appreciation from Mexico truly like any other,” Lynch said. “I wasn’t seeing a lot in the market that represented Mexico, kind of how I had seen when I was growing up.”
She moved back to Dallas, studied the origins of the designs she had grown up with, and launched Mi Golondrina, a brand dedicated to preserving traditional Mexican embroidery through fashion.
“We actually started with pillows. We had these hand-embroidered pillows. We had a launch party. And at the party, I had some sleeveless tops and dresses as well to kind of create this luxury lifestyle… And it just blew me away. I mean, we sold them in less than 10 minutes, I think,” she said.
What began with two simple designs has grown into dozens of collections filling her storefront on Mockingbird Lane. Inside the warehouse, seamstresses check each stitch for quality.
“We always want to make sure things are perfect, so she’s redoing that right now,” Lynch said, gesturing toward a worker adjusting a garment.
Nearby, others press pleats and package orders, which are shipped around the world.
“I think about my dad telling me that when you own a business, there’s a lot of responsibility, and I think a lot about as it’s worn and people are wearing it, making sure they know where it comes from and what it means to so many women in Mexico. Because it truly… Every time I see someone wearing it, it’s such a pinch me moment,” she said.
More than a decade later, Mi Golondrina continues its mission with roots that stretch into villages across Mexico.
Lynch now partners with more than 600 artisans in places like Chiapas and San Antonino Castillo Velasco, where women have passed down the tradition of floral embroidery for generations — some more than 200 years.
“I always like to say we’re an artisan first business model. And I think we’re the slowest form of fashion that exists when people talk about slow fashion. A lot of our pieces can take over a month to make,” she said.
At the center of every garment is the golondrina, or swallow, stitched into each piece, a symbol of culture in flight.
“I think culture and traditions should be shared. I think it’s the way we understand people and where they come from and what they mean, what they represent,” Lynch said. “It’s somebody admiring and respecting and appreciating what you do and somebody creating it with so much love.”
