Downtown Hotel is one of Mexico City’s favorite boutique hotels. Not only does it have a rooftop bar with a pool that is perfect for celebrating parties and birthdays, it also has an exclusive shopping area with more than 20 Mexican design stores simply named, The Shops.
Here, you can find boutiques specialized in fashion, art, culture, gastronomy and design. Like, Syra Canús, Pineda Covalín, Social Factory, Flora María, Serra Workshop, Parakara Gallery, Purple Snail, Carla Fernández, Mongo and Harto Diseño Mexicano, and many others that offer clothing made by Mexican artisans from Chiapas, Guerrero, Puebla and Oaxaca. All of which employ a fair-trade policy.
One of the stores with the most interesting pieces is Prison Art, which employs inmates from Mexican prisons to create accessories. Their job is to tattoo leather for purses, bags, backpacks and other pieces, of course, they make a percentage of each piece that’s sold. This is a great place to get a unique piece since no two are ever the same.
Another of the must-sees is Fábrica Social, a company that promotes the development of textile artisans through a nomadic rural school. They offer clothing and accessories created by seven indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Chiapas, Yucatán, Hidalgo and Guerrero.
Plan your visit ahead of time, because you will need more than an hour to completely explore this shopping center in the heart of the Historic Center and don’t forget to go up to the terrace and have a drink while you take in the panoramic Mexico City views.