Made in Mendoza: 15 design projects you should know

This boho-modern artisanal brand stands out for its hand-cut fringes on each piece. Rita Zucco and Pablo Moiño, dancers and creators from Mendoza, design and use a variety of textiles like cotton, vegan leather, and sporty materials.

Cooltura Love embodies movement and versatility in dresses, capes, vests, breastplates, hats, and other accessories. The project was born in California, moved to Tulum, and finally settled in Mendoza, establishing a base to connect with the world.

Fun Fact: The pair is preparing to launch their summer 2025 drop titled “Back to the Roots.” This capsule collection will feature essential garments with a neutral color palette and surprising patterns. And, of course, the movement provided by the fringes won’t be missed.

Where: Online store with shipping across Argentina.

This brand creates hats to inspire and accompany wearers on their journey toward self-expression. Zelva connects with people seeking authenticity and dedicating time to their passions.

The 5-panel caps, bucket hats, and mikis (brimless caps) are the star products of this Mendoza-based brand. They are crafted from leather, gabardine, and lighter, more colorful fabrics for summer.

Fun Fact: This venture started in 2016 in a workshop where its two owners handled the pattern-making, cutting, and sewing of each order. Over time, the brand expanded and, true to its style, continued telling stories from Spain. Today, Zelva is international.

Where: Sales and shipping throughout Argentina via their website.

Mendoza designer Eugenia Mena created the Singular Line, comprising concrete seats, stools, and chairs for both indoor and outdoor use, enhancing the expressive qualities of the material and turning it into a design element. With its plasticity, ergonomics, and the added warmth of wooden legs, Eugenia Mena furniture becomes solid and comfortable for diverse spaces.

The production and marketing of this line are managed by Cimalco, a pioneering company in urban design furniture, recommended for private or semi-public spaces with low vandalism vulnerability.

Fun Fact: This Singular Line was born from Mena's thesis for the Product Design program at the Faculty of Art and Design, UNCuyo, becoming the first project in the university’s history to be produced industrially. It also received the Argentine Good Design Seal from the Ministry of Industry and was a finalist at the Ibero-American Design Biennial in Madrid.

Where: Cimalco factory at Chuquisaca 200, Godoy Cruz. Sales and consulting here.

Antonella Sarmiento created a design proposal that’s exclusive and functional for any season and body. Her clothing seeks to convey joy and vitality through a vibrant color palette, digital prints, and a mix of different textiles.

Vartolla is an eclectic brand inspired by artists, movies, and music videos. Each capsule is timeless, so pants, vests, T-shirts, Bermuda shorts, blouses, and skirts never go out of style.

Fun Fact: This brand won the Semillero Mendoza Fashion Week 2023 Contest. Antonella created a conceptual jacket inspired by bodybuilding for the competition.

Where: Nupra Multiespacio, Avenida José Vicente Zapata 218, Mendoza City, and orders via Instagram with nationwide shipping.

Stellis Fernández is the creator of this inclusive fashion venture, designing swimsuits for all body types and also sweaters, T-shirts, overalls, dresses, and more to create a total brand look.

Alfonsina Dinamita is known for vibrant colors, floral patterns, and unique prints, making each piece one-of-a-kind and telling a story.

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Fun Fact: The designer has established a slow fashion approach, working with the “Dynamite family,” which includes a group of women who hand-knit and crochet. Rapper Rusherking even wore one of her designs in the “Intensidad” music video.

Where: Espacio Dinamita, Pascual Segura 1950, Godoy Cruz. Also available online, with shipping across Argentina.

Javier Tessio and Santiago Reboredo brought this brand to life; they’re product design professionals and lovers of kitesurfing, water sports, and outdoor life.

Shakka designs and produces sports equipment, including series-produced and exclusive designs. They specialize in Twintip boards and also offer bags, ponchos, impact vests, balance boards, and apparel.

Fun Fact: Along with innovative design and high-quality materials, the brand aims for positive impact by including recycled materials in certain products. For instance, their fins are made from discarded bottle caps—each board saves around 40 caps from becoming waste.

Where: Store located at Terrada 3282, Luján de Cuyo, and also online.

RE. designs are ethical and sustainable, crafted from jeans repurposed into new garments. Founders Martina Kretschmar and Rocío del Mar Muñoz transform jeans into fresh pieces with a commitment to reuse, revalue, and reimagine fashion.

Currently, they are making summer shorts and tops and recently launched their Boho line featuring denim jackets and vests with vintage ribbons, pompoms, and shirt fabric accents. The collection includes cotton, faux leather, and industrial knits that look handmade.

Fun Fact: To create their denim designs, the brand relies on donations, purchases scraps, and partners with charitable organizations. Each transformed jean has a unique history, resulting in a truly one-of-a-kind piece.

Where: Showroom at Mitre 1550, Chacras de Coria, and online store.

Agustín Herrera creates ceramic pieces that are part of the signature tableware used in distinguished wineries and restaurants across Mendoza. Each piece by Herrera Cerámica has a personal touch and complements fine dining.

The ceramist and potter works with materials sourced from Mendoza’s mountains, producing natural color glazes that suit both ornate and simple settings. His goal is to create warmth with clean, pure, and organic lines that reflect the mark of his hand.

Fun Fact: Herrera personally gathers earth, develops clay compositions, kneads the clay, shapes pieces, applies glazes, fires, and polishes them to deliver a carefully crafted, unique, artisanal product.

Where: Workshop at Prolongación Nueva Mayorga and Carril Gomez, Maipú, or via social media.

Carina Moretti and Milagro González, mother and daughter, were inspired by their fascination with candles to start a candle design business for decor. These artistic soy wax pieces transform spaces into warm and stylish environments.

Lumiére offers a wide range of candle sizes, shapes, textures, colors, and scents to suit any purpose or space. From long and short candlestick candles, aquatic and tubular designs with stone inlays for outdoor display, to large square candles with multiple wicks that become focal points in a room.

Fun fact: Current lighting trends emphasize functional, flexible design that can be moved to create dynamic atmospheres. Rather than being ceiling-bound and casting shadows, lights should create a warm glow—like candles—to evoke calm. Ideally, the light source itself remains hidden.

Where: Showroom in Chacras de Coria. Schedule a visit or make national purchases via social media.

Mariano Ruffo is a carpenter and artist who aims to evolve carpentry with new techniques, blending craft with artistic creativity. He stands out for his curiosity in finding "gold" in materials that others might discard.

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His raw materials include logs, branches, and roots from naturally fallen trees. Ruffo creates artistic furniture, decorative objects, and sculptures, using every part of the tree. He strips the wood down to reveal its natural grains and shapes.

Fun fact: Mariano also crafts custom furniture from recycled wood, including a table with legs made from a vineyard shed’s beams and a lapacho wood top sourced from truck scale remnants.

Where: Sales via social media or email marianoruffo@aol.com.

Self-taught artist Cecilia López Bravo began experimenting with glass, leading her to create her own brand, merging contemporary jewelry with glass art. She explores the material’s malleability and luminosity.

Her inspiration comes from nature, travel, and personal introspection, striving to capture the world’s beauty and complexity. Currently, she’s working on a glass jewelry collection incorporating 3D printing and metals, exploring the fusion of technology and tradition.

Fun fact: Cecilia's workshop in Las Vegas, Potrerillos, produces unique, handcrafted pieces exhibited internationally. Her goal is for her jewelry to balance delicacy and durability and create an emotional connection with the wearer.

Where: Available for purchase nationwide through her website.

Capote, created by Victoria Cucchi, offers “Cuyo Chic” style with unique, comfortable, adaptable garments. The designs are focused on sustainable fashion with a low social, environmental, and economic impact.

Capote features gender-neutral garments, with a fit that’s adjusted through ties and wraps. Following a palette of neutral, earthy, natural colors, the pieces are timeless, functional, and compatible with previous collections.

Fun fact: Capote is a slow fashion brand adhering to the Zero Waste movement. No paper tags are used, and 100% of locally-sourced textiles are utilized, with fabric scraps repurposed as pillows, bags, or even part of the showroom furniture.

Where: Workshop and showroom at Mitre 1820, Chacras de Coria, or online store.

Francesca Roggerone creates unique, unconventional jewelry pieces through her brand Frogg, using semi-precious stones, crystals, glass, resin, and antique items like medals, fabrics, and ribbons.

She works with silver, bronze, and alpaca, letting the stones and her mood inspire each design. Her pieces are bold, featuring a play of colors, sizes, and textures, making them stand out.

Fun fact: Francesca, daughter of renowned Argentine artist Sergio Roggerone, is venturing into a line of bags, jewelry cases, and pouches made with antique fabrics she hand-selects during her travels.

Where: Available for purchase and shipping nationwide through her website.

Fashion designer Noe Sánchez created this brand offering exclusive, genderless clothing and accessories that challenge stereotypes around sexuality, removing taboos about sensuality and turning it into a form of expression and play. Currently, she works with photographer Paula Lampeduza.

Monse’s collection includes harnesses, skirts, corsets, garters, chokers, and bras, all handcrafted using metal, leather, and plastic. Black is the primary color, but white, red, and pink also appear, along with strass embellishments and embroidery.

Fun fact: Noe and Victoria from Capote handle the costumes for Maal Max, styling attendees of this post-apocalyptic party inspired by Mad Max. They use recycled materials and swap items to design accessories that reflect a survivalist aesthetic.

Where: Dinamoco, Belgrano 986, Mendoza City, or through their online store.

Pugna, a Mendoza-based brand, offers unique, versatile, and timeless urban footwear for adults, with sizes ranging from 35 to 46, featuring both style and comfort.

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María Pía Giolo, Pugna’s designer and co-founder, highlights their signature laced shoe. She and her team are also redesigning a popular sandal model that has been a customer favorite for three years.

Fun fact: Besides using various colors, Pugna incorporates designs by local artists, compensating them for the rights to their work, creating cultural impact. Collaborators include Andrea Zucol, Laura Varsky, and Flora Optimista.

Where: Espacio Dinamita, Pascual Segura 1950, Godoy Cruz, or via social media.