PAULINA, STORE DIRECTOR, CHAVA

Paulina Pliego is the director of Chava Tiendita, our newly opened shop in CDMX. She's originally from Queretaro and moved to Mexico City when we offered her the job (I was thrilled she accepted and was excited to live here). She's a trained designer, has designed her own line of clothing and is a self-professed extrovert, which is honestly ideal for running our very touch-heavy business. The Tiendita is a small space but it's filled with one-of-a-kind shirts, some hand-embroidered pieces by female-owned and employed Jauja and even a leather jacket we all love so much (store exclusives!). Get to know Pau, and come visit her at the Tiendita.

A reminder of our hours:

Monday - Saturday 11am - 6pm

General Francisco Ramírez 24

Hi Paulina! Tell us a little bit about your background. Where were you born? How has your upbringing influenced who you are today? 

Hi Olivia! I was born in Queretaro, a small city three hours from Mexico City, so not far away from where I am today, but I’ve spent most of my life there. Last year I finished college, where I majored in fashion design, and developed my own streetwear clothing brand, called Pliego, just as my last name.

I would say my upbringing has helped me a lot to become who I am today. I used to spend so much time with my grandmother since I was little; I would see her paint, draw, sew, embroider and do all types of art, that stuck with me. Before I entered college, she gifted me her sewing machine and taught me how to sew. 

In a small city it sounds crazy to go for a creative career, so my family and friends supporting me and celebrating who I am has meant the world to me.

What were you like as a child? Do you think there were early signs that you would eventually work in fashion?

I always have been drawn to fashion. I used to cut my clothes and wore them in different ways, wore all kinds of hats, and my grandma’s clothes and heels. Fashion has always interested me; every movie, TV show, magazine...I remember watching shows and flipping through Vogue while thinking to myself, "Whatever world they're living in, I want to be part of!" 

I don’t think they are that different from each other. I feel that Mexico City shows you many different ways of living your life, while in Querétaro things are still a bit more limited in that sense. Life there is lived in a much more family-oriented way, which is something very beautiful. If you’re looking for a calm life and close family ties, it’s the ideal place. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a much faster pace of life and want to be exposed to more points of view and perspectives, Mexico City is ideal.

What makes me happy about Querétaro is that it’s growing creatively, with bookstores, workshops, galleries, music, fashion and cultural events. Little by little, my hometown is filling up with these spaces, and that’s helping people become more open-minded and open to different lifestyles in a much freer way.

People dress a bit more conservatively, but over time that has been changing. Honestly, people in Querétaro dress really well. Their style is adapted to moving around the city in warm weather, which has a big influence, and that’s something I really like. More and more, people are dressing in a much more authentic way, as well. 

The major difference I see is that in the capital there is a lot of cultural exchange. People from all over the world moving to or visiting Mexico City have transformed the way many people dress. The open-mindedness of the city, and the fact that you can wear anything and no one cares, is one of the biggest advantages, it allows you to become your most authentic self. That’s one of my favorite things about being here, you can take influence from almost everything in the city: the shape of a building you pass by everyday, the color palette of a restaurant you like, the feeling of an art exposition you went to, a book you read, everything everywhere!

I love that I can walk or bike almost everywhere in the city. Overall, I love how much life there is, the number of cafés, bars, restaurants and museums, and how crowded they are with all kinds of personalities. Lately, I’ve been walking a lot to get to know the city, and my favorite details to notice are the different types of architecture, the abundance of plants, and the way trees break through the sidewalks. 

I imagine Chava Tiendita as one of the top ten spots you should visit while you’re in Mexico City, definitely one of the best stores in the city. From the beginning, I’ve imagined it as a very active space, hosting events and workshops as a way to keep growing our community, and in the long run, expanding to other places as well.

Chava Tiendita already feels different from other stores because of the essence of the brand itself, bringing a personalized, thoughtful service into a retail space. 

I want our community to keep growing and for each customer to have the best experience, not only while shopping but also while simply being in the space, and ultimately finding the shirt they resonate with the most. Every time a client comes in, it reminds me of when my friends try on clothes from my closet, it feels like a safe place to chat, have fun, and do everything out of love. That’s the same feeling I try to share with each customer, helping them choose the right shirt, recommending other spots around CDMX, getting to know them, and overall, having a nice time.

Paulina wears our store exclusive embroidery collab with Jauja, our store exclusive leather jacket, our Tuxedo Shirt and our Relaxed Tuxedo Pant.