Every year in Uruapan, the Feria Artesanal serves as a cornerstone for Michoacán's artisan community, traditionally providing the main source of income for local artisans. However, in 2020, the global pandemic forced the cancellation of this vital event, leaving artisans without a platform to showcase or sell their crafts. It was in response to this challenge that Tsanda was born.
Launched as a non-profit initiative, Tsanda emerged with the mission of supporting artisan families by promoting and selling their handcrafted textiles through social networks. What began as a grassroots effort to restore lost income quickly gained momentum. By September of the same year, the overwhelming support for the project led to the official founding of Tsanda as a brand, with the goal of sharing a piece of Michoacán's rich artisan heritage with the world.
Today, Tsanda has evolved into more than just a marketplace for handmade textiles—it has become a driving force of inspiration, preservation, and respect for Purépecha culture. The project has not only provided a stable source of work for artisans but also fostered economic independence for these families. Currently, 12 artisan families across seven different communities collaborate with Tsanda, and the project continues to grow with a vision of incorporating even more families and integrating a diverse range of traditional textile techniques.
By empowering artisans and celebrating the cultural richness of Michoacán, Tsanda aims to take these extraordinary crafts to all corners of the world, allowing each piece to carry the story of its people and the traditions they cherish.
"Tsanda we are the daughters, mothers, and grandmothers of the Purépecha culture. We reflect our hereditary knowledge of many years of history with each thread and each stitch that we capture in our textiles.
With our embroideries, the light of the family tradition is kept alive; that is why each Tsanda piece is made to be worn with great pride. We feel a deep affection for our roots, the Purépecha culture, and the place where we grew up; Michoacán.
Being able to transmit this immense love in each garment is what makes our hearts beat stronger and stronger."