San Melchor Betaza is in the northern Sierra of Oaxaca and has a population of about 800 people. Here, Angela Lizbeth Yescas Garcia, founder of Bee Staz, created the brand dedicated to uplifting San Melchor Betaza, Oaxaca, through their stories and textiles. Bee Staz means sleeping air, a name that pays homage to the community of Betaza, otherwise known as the place where the wind blows in Zapotec.
Lizbeth started Bee Staz in 2018 after seeing the unethical practices among artisanal clothing within her community. She would frequently hear about the low costs at which the traditional clothing pieces from Betaza were being purchased, only to find out that it was being resold at a much higher price point. This left those in her community with little to nothing compared to the buyers' profits. So, she decided to move back home and take matters into her own hands.
Currently, Bee Staz is made up of 25 artisans from the local community. The designs range from traditional pieces featuring motifs and teachings from their community to innovative styles based on artisanal techniques.
