SAN ISIDRO BUEN SUCESO, Mexico (AP) 鈥� In the mountain town of San Isidro Buen Suceso, Virginia Ver贸nica Arce Arce begins her days as she has for decades: seated at her vintage Singer sewing machine, guiding bright threads into intricate patterns passed down through generations.
Arce is part of a group of talented female Indigenous artisans who collaborate to create the colorful embroidered dresses and huipiles 鈥� traditional blouses worn by Indigenous women 鈥� that have become a closet staple for and earned her a spot on the New York Times 鈥淢ost Stylish鈥� list.
Since launching her campaign for president, Sheinbaum has worn garments that honor the textile traditions of different Mexican Indigenous communities.
鈥淚n each embroidery there is not only a lot of work, there is tradition, there is history, there is legacy … each embroidery represents something that a woman designed and thought of,鈥� Sheinbaum said Wednesday.
A platform for artisans
The president’s style caught the attention of the New York Times, which this month included her in its list of the most stylish people of 2025, saying she has drawn attention to the country鈥檚 Indigenous fashion by wearing “embroidered clothing.鈥�
Arce learned the art of embroidery at a young age from her father. Her motifs of flora and fauna from La Malinche mountain in the central Mexican state of Tlaxcala became her signature and soon caught Sheinbaum鈥檚 attention.
The president wore one of Arce’s embroidery designs sewn on an elaborate purple gown to on Sept. 15.
When the president stepped onto the balcony of the National Palace to wave the Mexican flag, millions of Mexicans saw Arce鈥檚 work.
鈥淚t was very emotional,鈥� Arce said, describing how her family gathered in front of the TV to spot the familiar stitches. 鈥淲hen she came out and was wearing the dress, it was a very emotional to see her with it, with the embroidery from Tlaxcala and, above all, from my community.鈥�
Garments repurposed, reused
It wasn鈥檛 the first time Sheinbaum had worn something made by Arce. One of Arce’s traditional huipiles was worn by Sheinbaum during her presidential campaign and later readapted into a formal suit by Olivia Trujillo Cortez, one of the president麓s seamstresses.
Sheinbaum’s team often recycles her clothes. When Sheinbaum has worn a blouse or a dress a few times, she asks to readapt the piece into a suit or a jacket, giving them new life without spending too much, Trujillo said.
Using embroidery and textile patterns from , Chiapas and other places, Trujillo began producing suits, dresses and formal ensembles for debates, campaign rallies and, eventually, the presidential palace.
鈥淧eople from all social backgrounds now want a dress like the president鈥檚. It鈥檚 become a trend,” Trujillo said of Sheinbaum’s embroidered pieces.
Defending against plagiarism
Sheinbaum, like former President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador, has showcased and defended Mexican popular art from plagiarism. In August, her administration accused sportswear company and of copying the design of the traditional footwear known as huaraches made by the Zapotec Indigenous people in Oaxaca.
In 2021, the federal government asked brands including Zara, Anthropologie and Patowl to provide a public explanation for why they copied embroidered blouses from Oaxaca鈥檚 Indigenous communities to sell in their stores.
These pre-Hispanic shoes and clothing, whose patterns and fabrics vary according to region, were for centuries seen with contempt within Mexico. There were even periods during the colonial era when huipiles were burned in public bonfires as part of an effort to eradicate all that came from Indigenous people.
For years, if someone wore a huipil 鈥渋t looked bad,鈥� the president said, adding that disdain for the clothing, which is an expression of racism, remains in some places in the country until this day.
From discrimination to point of pride
Claudia V谩squez Aquino, an artisan from the state of Oaxaca and one of the many women behind the president鈥檚 signature style, is grateful Sheinbaum is showing the world the value of Indigenous clothing.
Sheinbaum was sworn in on Oct. 1, 2024, in an elegant ivory dress with a round neckline, long sleeves and colorful floral embroidery on part of the skirt. The dress was designed and embroidered by V谩squez in the style of the southern state of Oaxaca and sewn by Trujillo.
鈥淵ou have no idea how significant this is for each artisan,鈥� said V谩squez, who still remembers how as a child she would change her traditional clothes when going to the city to avoid being mocked.
鈥淲e went to that extreme of taking off our huipil, putting on a casual blouse or pants…we didn鈥檛 want to arrive in the capital looking like an Indigenous woman,鈥� she said. 鈥淭oday everything has changed.鈥�
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