Lorena Vieyra’s interior design practice has introduced her to a dynamic array of makers in her home base of Mexico City. But the decorated founder of Vieyra Estudio sought to bring together the skilled artisans of her network—especially those embodying Mexico’s distinctive culture and heritage—to create something bigger. “There’s pride in Mexican culture and global audiences are increasingly interested in our art, food, and especially design,” Vieyra says. “We have a lot to express through our heritage and culture, which is very emotional.”
That inspired her to launch Omet, a new e-commerce platform presenting an expertly curated selection of collectible furniture and objects by makers across Mexico and Latin America. Named after Ōmeteōtl, the Aztec god of creation who has both male and female counterparts, Omet gathers a diverse cohort of 11 designers united by their generational techniques, local materials, and regional storytelling. The initial offering, which includes exclusive pieces by the likes of textile artist José María Balmaceda, ceramicist Lili Cortina, and artist-architect Pedro Reyes, launched on May 1. Vieyra plans to open a brick-and-mortar showroom in Austin this fall but is bringing a pop-up exhibition to NYCxDesign this month.
“We focused on pieces that tell a story and allow its owner to know exactly how it was made,” Vieyra says. “What I’m trying to get is that richness of why this was made in Mexico and not someplace else.” That answer lies in the edit of 30 pieces, which expresses the richness of Mexican materials and heritage. Reyes debuts a hand-chiseled volcanic stone chair inspired by metate tools used to make tortillas; Juan José Nemer and Mauricio Alvarez of Ad Hoc reveal hand-carved wooden stools that nod to the molinillo, a traditional whisk used to make hot chocolate. “Our pieces are unique, not only in terms of quality, but of their timelessness and soul,” she says. “I see Omet as the umbrella that can showcase all this talent.”
