Inside Texere, the Textile-Making Residency Promoting Social Equity in Oaxaca | Vogue

"On a balmy afternoon in a pueblo outside of Oaxaca, an intimate group of local artisans gathers on a leafy patio beneath a stately flamboyant tree to learn the Okinawan practice of banana fiber extraction from Japanese native Yuka Makino-Bullard, who is completing a month-long residency here. With arabesque archways and cantera verde–limewash walls, this shared textile studio, residency space, and specialty shop could be mistaken for a beautiful home on the outskirts of Oaxaca, but co-founders Ana Cris Medina Palmeros and Caitlin Garcia-Ahern have built it to bridge the cultural gap between Oaxacan communities and visitors. Its model centers on reciprocal knowledge sharing and sliding-scale fees that reflect privilege and access to resources, aiming to create a more equitable exchange in a region that has long grappled with extractive forces." - Catherine Tansey