Santos Onate

My husband and I took a trip to Spain in the summer of 2019. We went to visit family, relax, have some fun and look for some inspiration for a new collection. The inspiration exceeded my expectations. I came home with hundreds (or close to a thousand photos) and a notebook of sketches. But, as I sifted through all the photos and sketches, I realized this was more than a collection... 

My family heritage is from Spain and Mexico. I have always loved the music and culture and imagery of both of these countries. It really speaks to my heart. I love the Spanish way of life -- the focus on family and enjoying life. I also am deeply enamored with old towns with washed out, cracked walls of  gray, ochre and siena. I crave cobblestone streets, ancient doors, iron balconies -- and wash flutter in the wind from those balconies. While on this trip, we spent a lot of time in the Basque region, which is where some of my ancestors hail from. When I returned home, I thought about how to pull my family history and love of the Latin culture into this new vision I was trying to sort through. That's when I thought about my great-grandmother, Santos Onate -- a strong, lovely woman who found herself fleeing on horseback from her home and country.