The Story Behind Our Logo
The History of the Mola
There is an indigenous group, called the Guna (or Kuna), that resides in Panama and parts of Colombia, which is where I established my roots before moving to Miami when I was younger. The women of this group create unique, colorful clothing, called mola, which directly translates to “shirt”.
The Smithsonian Describes the Creation of Mola As:
“Making a mola the traditional way isn’t for the faint of heart, and Ledezma estimates that a single shirt can take anywhere from 60 to 80 hours of labor to sew. To create each garment, women and girls use a technique called reverse appliqué, which involves layering two or more fabrics of different colors and sewing them together, then using a pair of scissors to carefully snip away parts of each layer to reveal the design. Next, they use fabric remnants to fill in each layer, creating a striking geometric-like form. The more layers used, the more complex the final piece, which is adorned with intricate embroidery sewn by hand. Often, the base fabric of a piece is black to help emphasize the other colors and make them pop on the finished garment.”
How We Were Given Our Own Mola
In August 2022, our family took an incredible vacation to Panama to visit my Abuelitos. We had the pleasure of meeting this beautiful woman in Panama Viejo (OLD Panama) who makes authentic mola with techniques passed down from the ancestral women in her family. My daughter (pictured with me) fell in love with the colorful mola that I now use as the background of my logo. My logo demonstrates structure, organization, and a flare for vibrancy. There will always be a place in my heart for this trip, as well as for the beautiful piece of my culture’s history that came home with me.
