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【Guanajuato, 】Between Beads and Wire, Tlacua Transforms Costume Jewelry into Her Own Artistic Expression from Guanajuato

Jul 13, 2026

Editor’s Note

**Editor’s Note:** This piece highlights Tlacua’s six-year journey transforming costume jewelry into a personal art form in Guanajuato. We explore her creative process and the cultural influences shaping her work.

Guanajuato

Between Beads and Wire, Tlacua Transforms Costume Jewelry into Her Own Artistic Expression from Guanajuato

For six years, Tlacua has ventured into the world of costume jewelry, offering her creations at bazaars and exhibitions in the center of Guanajuato.

Francisco Meléndez
Monday, July 13, 2026

Guanajuatense by choice but originally from Guerrero, Tlacua is studying for a bachelor’s degree in Educational Inclusion.

Guanajuato, Gto. – Tlacua started her entrepreneurial journey in 2020 at the age of 17. She began by selling second-hand clothing and making her own alternative-style costume jewelry, which included harnesses, spike necklaces, and chains.

“I started with second-hand clothing first, but then people would see my jewelry and ask me, ‘Where did you buy it?’ Well, I made it myself,” Tlacua recounted.

Guanajuatense by choice but originally from Guerrero, Tlacua is studying for a bachelor’s degree in Educational Inclusion and focuses on autism, an area she connects with personally, using the income from her business to fund her studies.

The transition to physical sales occurred between 2022 and 2023 when she joined bazaars. Because artisans began losing some spaces in the center of Guanajuato and faced difficulty accessing private venues, Tlacua and a group of exhibitors sought options until they found a private venue in the downtown area. Thus, the Del Ágora Bazar project began at the end of 2024, launching with four consecutive editions during the weekends of the Cervantino Festival and Day of the Dead.

The bazaar is held sporadically on Saturdays and Sundays at the Ágora del Baratillo, hosting an average of 12 exhibitors due to the limited space.

“Unlike other bazaars, it’s a slightly smaller space. There are only about twelve of us exhibitors on average. We don’t have more than that because it’s a small space. However, this community of exhibitors has been very united and collaborative in the organization,” Tlacua detailed, adding that there is a relationship of mutual trust to watch over each other’s stalls. Due to the presence of the plaza’s regular vendors, the organization does not allow the sale of coffee or pastries, limits jewelry to a maximum of three brands, and disseminates its calls for participants a month in advance through Instagram @delagorabazar.

Despite the Challenges of Entrepreneurship, Tlacua Invites Others to Create in Order to Heal

The process of making the pieces starts from ideas drawn while sleeping or by experimenting with materials while listening to music. Sale prices range between 100 and 300 pesos. Tlacua takes custom orders, such as a graduation necklace or special pieces for clients attending year-end music festivals. However, Tlacua denounced the constant theft of her work locally and on global e-commerce platforms.

“My designs have been stolen. Here in Guanajuato City, other people who do this have blatantly stolen my designs. There are photos of my neck on AliExpress, on Shein, on Temu, with my style, my neck, my body in the background. It has really been very difficult for me these six years because my work has been blatantly stolen many times,” she stated.

Tlacua Found in Costume Jewelry a Way to Make Art and Continue Her Studies

The work of manual creation has served as a channel for emotions and a support for Tlacua, who recently designed a piece inspired by the grief of losing her cat, Miguel, who came to her home on a rainy day.

“Make creating a way to heal. In my case, I really struggled with many things throughout my life, and when I started creating the pieces, I began to find meaning in it. I started to find it as a way to escape that emotion or channel it differently. In the end, people will always make fun of you, whether you do things or not. And it’s better to do them and have an enterprise, than to want to do them and hold back. Art heals, definitely,” she explained.

Currently Exhibits Her Work at Local Bazaars, Especially During Festive Periods

Looking to the future, Tlacua plans to continue the bazaar, which is preparing for its tenth edition in August, and aspires to manufacture her own charms to improve the quality of her brand, taking designer Daniel Espinosa as a reference.

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⏰ Published on: July 13, 2026