Manyana
Co-founder and Creative Director, responsible for building the brand from the ground up — leading identity, product design, campaigns, and the retail experience for a modern Mexican lifestyle label.
Manyana – Brand Creation & Retail Experience
Role: Co-Founder, Creative Director & Executive Officer
Timeline: 2016 – Present
Location: Sayulita, Mexico
Overview
Manyana is a boutique clothing and home goods brand and retail concept located in Sayulita, Mexico. Inspired by modern Mexican design, architecture, and sustainability, the shop blends handmade artisanal objects with a contemporary fashion line designed and produced in-house.
Case Study
Goals
Launch a lifestyle brand that reflects contemporary Mexican aesthetics through curated artisanal products and original fashion design.
Build a vertically integrated business that combines retail, in-house production, and e-commerce.
Create a destination retail experience aligned with global design and sustainability values.
Challenges
Transitioned from design and curation into fashion manufacturing, requiring hands-on learning in apparel construction, sourcing, and production management.
Built a sustainable production process in a small town with limited apparel industrial infrastructure.
Process
Designed and built the shop interiors (two retail build-outs), creating a tactile, architectural retail space.
Curated a rotating selection of Mexican artisanal goods by developing relationships with independent makers of ceramics, copper, wood, and textiles.
Designed all shop-branded merchandise, including t-shirts, hats, totes and accessories.
Founded an in-house sewing workshop and led the development of over 100 SKUs of original clothing and premium canvas bags, using a blend of local and imported textiles and trims.
Oversaw all product design, sampling, production forecasting, and quality control.
Built and maintained the e-commerce site and integrated inventory between two POS shops and a warehouse with Shopify.
Directed all marketing efforts, including photography, campaign production, and social media.
Hired and trained all retail staff, and implemented sales training and merchandising strategies.
Outcomes & Results
Built a catalog of 100+ original SKUs, including premium apparel and bags.
Reached approximately $500,000 USD in annual sales through retail and e-commerce channels.
Created a high-end destination retail experience praised by design-minded travelers and locals alike.
Developed a loyal international customer base and strong brand recognition within niche markets.
