Every year during the first days of November for the Dia de Los Muertos celebrations, Oaxaca de Juárez (or Oaxaca City) is blanketed with colorful altars, flowers, and mezcal-drinking muerteadas who dance the streets wildly to the beat of local banda music. Traditionally believed to be a stop for deceased souls on the road to Mictlan—the mythological pre-Hispanic afterlife—the city becomes the wildly decorated bridge between the world of the living and the departed.
But Oaxaca’s knack for looping together the past and the present is not just evident in the parades streaming between the city center’s colorful colonial facades during these few days. Inside these pastel-colored buildings, the shelves of the artful local shops offer some of the best artisanal shopping in the world, a fusion of traditional crafts with modern design. As the capital of the Mexican state with the largest population of Indigenous cultures, as well as a hip and multicultural urban city today, Oaxaca City’s best stores now blend global styles.
These 11 stores, some of our favorites in the city, celebrate products made by Oaxacan hands from the state’s eight regions: woolen textiles from Teotitlan del Valle, filigree jewels from the Istmo, and world-famous mezcal from Matatlan, to name a few. Here’s where to shop.
Los Baúles de Juana Cata por Remigio Mestas
Don Remigio Mestas is an institution in Oaxacan textile art, and his name endorses this boutique which stocks textiles from several regions of the state, each of which meets the highest standards of quality and shows exceptional originality. An example of his clever take, Don Remigio places these alongside small treasures such as paliacates— bandannas traditionally worn while working in the fields—Tehuan jicalpextle containers, and dolls dressed in nostalgic regional attire. Macedonio Alcala 403, int. 2, Centro Histórico
Cooperativa 1050°
The small space does not limit the wonder of the art created using Oaxacan clay here, a gift from Mother Earth according to pre-Hispanic Oaxacan lore. Artisans from communities such as Santa Maria Atzompa, San Bartolo Coyotepec, and Santo Domingo Tonaltepec, to name just three, take their traditional knowhow to new levels of excellence in the design of small, delicate contemporary pieces—perfect for traveling home with—each of which is signed by the potter. Rufino Tamayo 800, Centro Histórico
Marchanta
A combination of art, design, culture and fashion is spread throughout this concept store, which takes its name from marchantas, the women who work in Oaxacan markets. It celebrates feminine freedom in its high-quality products, each of which has its own design DNA, character, and tradition. The store combines work by local artisans (pottery, textiles, and glass), with fashion brands from other Mexican states, like Grieve and Máscaras de Alambre, with a perfect sense of balance. Jose Maria Morelos 802, Centro Histórico
Silvia Suarez
Well-known for her colorful dresses which mix current design with details inspired by artisan women, Oaxacan clothing designer Silvia Suarez sought to expand her range to accessories that work well with the aesthetic of her garments. She has also invited other Mexican jewelry designers to show exclusive pieces in her boutique, and added a selection of homeware, such as cushions, canvases, and palm baskets which create a colorful, carefree, and sophisticated atmosphere.
Gurrión 110-1, Centro Histórico
Suculenta
The abundance of local food products in Oaxaca is undeniable, and this shop holds a bounty: seasonal jams, preserves, pickles and honey stacked in small jars, ready for cooking with or using as condiments for dishes. It also carries a plethora of tableware options created by well-known local artists, such as pottery from Isabel Sanchez and Pitao Copycha, or perfect pairs of candles made in Teotitlan de Valle. Porfirio Diaz 211, Centro Histórico
