Your Cart

📦 Flat-rate U.S. shipping — $9.95

Our Story

Viva La Vida Imports was born from a simple dream: to build a business together that kept us connected to our Mexican roots. Back in 2016, we didn’t yet know what we would sell — only that we wanted to share something meaningful, something that felt like home.

We had only done one market before that — a small event where we didn’t sell a single thing, and where the items we offered weren’t even part of our culture. We were simply trying to find our place, experimenting, learning, hoping something would eventually make sense.

Then one day at Detroit’s Eastern Market, we sold a handmade clay vase… simple, imperfect, and full of soul. The moment it left our hands, something shifted. We looked at each other and instantly knew:
This is it. This is what we’re meant to do.

In that single moment, everything clicked. We realized that our path was meant to honor Mexican folk art — the hands that shape it, the traditions it protects, the stories it carries, and the communities it uplifts. That vase was our beginning. Eastern Market became our birthplace. And Mexico became our compass.

"Mexico became our compass, and Eastern Market became our home."

Rooted in Culture, Community, and Connection

Our journeys across Mexico introduced us to incredible artisans and their families. These are not just business partners — they are people who welcomed us into their lives, shared their stories, and taught us the meaning behind their work. We’ve seen artisans expand their workshops, welcome new babies, and carry their traditions forward. And they’ve seen us grow too — as women, as a couple, and as business owners building something far from home but deeply connected to our roots.

For us, preserving Mexican folk art isn’t just about culture — it’s about identity. As Mexican women living in the U.S., this work has become our bridge to our roots, a way to stay connected to where we come from while carving out space in a place where we are often seen as ‘foreign,’ yet has become the place where we’ve built our life, our community, and our future — our home in its own way.

Why Detroit

Detroit welcomed us with open arms. Here, we found acceptance — as Latinas, as women, as immigrants, and as a queer couple. This city has supported us through every stage — from selling in the cold at markets, to surviving COVID, to opening our storefront in Eastern Market. Our customers have become family, and our shop has become a safe haven where people of all backgrounds feel the joy, color, and corazón behind handmade Mexican art.

What We Believe In

• Community, representation, and belonging

• Creativity and connection

• Cultural preservation

• Respect for artisan labor

• Fair Trade and long-term relationships

• Queer and women-led empowerment

• Tearing down negative stereotypes about Mexico and celebrating its beauty

Our Vision

We hope to continue growing — opening more storefronts, offering workshops, and creating a space where anyone can feel the warmth, artistry, and love of Mexican handmade goods. A place where you can reconnect with your roots, or discover a culture that welcomes you with open arms.

And we’re allowing the journey to unfold naturally, letting the wind take us to the places that are right for us and for the work we love.

Thank you for supporting the families we work with, for celebrating our heritage with us, and for helping keep this dream alive — one handmade piece at a time.