Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, expressed her pride for the country's indigenous women after being named one of the 67 most elegant people of 2025 by The New York Times for wearing clothing with indigenous embroidery. Sheinbaum stated she feels very proud because the weavers, embroiderers, and all women with backstrap looms in the country are a source of national pride. She mentioned that many of the garments are gifts from her travels across the country and that she has several seamstresses who help her select and make traditional huipiles (blouses) and embroidery. She emphasized that her clothing is not from expensive brands. In its list published on Sunday, The New York Times highlighted that in her first year in office, Sheinbaum 'has drawn attention to the country's indigenous fashion by wearing embroidered clothing and taking a strong stance against major brands that imitate local artisans.' The President thanked the American newspaper for the recognition but stressed that 'the thanks should go to the Mexican indigenous artisans' for their contribution to the country, their creativity, and the beauty of their embroidery. She pointed out that 'in each embroidery, there is not only a lot of work, tradition, history, and legacy, but it also represents the creativity of a mainly indigenous woman.' Therefore, she noted that her government seeks to support artisan women to enter different markets, both national and international. The U.S. newspaper also highlighted Sheinbaum's sophisticated style of dress but also referred to her 'strong measures' against major brands that produce imitations of Mexican indigenous embroidery. Last August, the German company Adidas issued a public apology for the cultural appropriation of the traditional huarache from the Yalálag community in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, which was the 'inspiration' for the 'Oaxaca Slip On' model launched by the sportswear brand at the beginning of the month. The apology came after Sheinbaum stated that huaraches are 'collective intellectual property,' so 'there must be reparation' and 'the heritage law must be complied with.'
