GBA Lifestyle News
An elevator convo with Karla Prompers, founder of authentic Mexican crafts brand RougeMex.
See here for more from our Next Up series.
I’m the founder of RougeMex, a brand created in 2019 with the aim of promoting the work of Mexican artisans and preserving their cultural heritage.
We’re very proud to be working directly with indigenous artisans from southern Mexico. At RougeMex, we value being transparent about our crafting process and are dedicated to offering more sustainable slow fashion. We also help the female artisans we work with make a living and preserve their heritage, while the lovely dresses in our collection are authentically Mexican and based on long-standing artisanal traditions.
The inspiration for creating the RougeMex brand came to me when I saw my sister in Mexico wearing a beautiful top. It was handcrafted and embroidered by Mexican artisans. I fell in love with that top and I immediately saw an opportunity to bring that unique Mexican style to Asia and promote the traditions and the work of Mexican rural communities. At RougeMex, we believe in preserving ancestral know-how by exporting these crafts to new markets, and we find new purposes for traditional creations such as our garments and accessories.
Our customers are conscious buyers who understand the importance of heritage. They’re conscious that the unique pieces from our brand took days, weeks, or sometimes months to make. RougeMex clients are mostly advocates of slow-fashion and sustainable brands. They appreciate garments that can last more than a season.
My daily routine normally starts with an hour of exercise in the morning. Then I start working. I focus on sourcing new pieces, marketing, and customer care, while also dealing with after-sales follow-ups. I also spend a lot of time creating quality content for the brand’s social media as it’s our principal channel for engaging with our clients.
As a momtrepreneur, my day-to-day varies a lot. Running a small business is quite intense and I’m the only person running the show. To cut a long story short, I try to balance work and mom life as much as I possibly can. I also try to get my girls involved in RougeMex as much as possible because another reason for launching this brand was to transmit a love of our rich Mexican cultural heritage to my half-Dutch/ half-Mexicans triplet daughters. I love it when I listen to them playing and they’re saying to one another, “Yes I sell Mexican dresses!”
Our aim is to grow the awareness of RougeMex in Hong Kong, and from Hong Kong, to expand to other countries in Asia. Long-term we’re aiming for RougeMex to become a global brand.
