Equipales: Traditional Mexican Furniture
BY CLAY IMPORTS
Chances are you have seen or even sat in a Mexican Equipal chair! Maybe at restaurant? A beach resort? Or your neighbor's stylish backyard? If that furniture even looked and felt exceptionally well-made, chances are even higher that Clay Imports made them! Clay Import’s Equipal collection restores high quality while focusing on sustainability. We use 100% natural and biodegradable products. Furthermore, we offer our furniture in select water-based colors, vegan options, and custom sizes.
VEGAN/OUTDOOR
Much like our traditional leather equipal pieces, the vegan equipal furniture line is handmade in Jalisco, Mexico, by artisan communities that have been crafting equipal furniture for generations. Our goal was to develop a more sustainable, more durable equipal furniture line that maintained as many traditional qualities as possible. Low maintenance was one of our top priorities when designing this product. Vegan equipal furniture is easy to care for and stain-resistant while staying true to the minimal design. Vegan Equipal feature weather-resistant upholstery and durable deck sealant applied to the rosewood frame.
CARE
In order to maintain the furniture’s high-quality leather and wood, we suggest regular applications of leather conditioner and wood-furniture polish. If you are not going for an aged look and your leather is scratched or scuffed, we have touch up paint available to repair small damages to painted equipal. Lastly, if your natural or painted leather equipal gets wet, avoid drying in the sun. Instead, bring it inside or under a shaded area to dry. We recommend using non-acidic and non-ammonia based cleaners for regular cleaning of painted or vegan equipal.
HISTORY
Handcrafted equipales were designed over 500 years ago by skilled artisans of the Aztec Empire in central Mexico. Using organic and regional materials to craft furniture that provided both comfort and aesthetic pleasure, these artisans inspired a design concept that has been passed down through generations, standing the test of time. Photography of beach resorts in Mexico during the 20th contributed to equipales popularity. However, as demand for and production of equipales increased, their quality began to suffer. Today, we sustainably make authentic equipal furniture in Zacoalco de Torres, Jalisco, a small town located south of Guadalajara.
STORY
During the 20th century, equipales became popular through the rise of photography of beach resorts in Mexico. However, as demand for and production of equipales increased, their quality began to suffer. The goal of our New School Equipal collection is to restore high quality in equipal furniture while focusing on sustainability. This collection is composed of 100% natural and biodegradable products, such as locally sourced leather, Mexican rosewood, and waxed cotton twine. Furthermore, our furniture is now available in select water-based colors, vegan options, and custom sizes.
DESIGN
We are committed to the original equipal design concept from over 500 years ago. We further use materials that are 100% organic and biodegradable. For added practicality, we’ve simplified the concept to include only the essential, organic materials. This means that your leather furniture, after having served its lifelong purpose of providing you with comfort, can return to the earth’s soil. The vegan outdoor option is an extension of our commitment to practical design.