Dutzi Design Inc.***

Okay… this is a long one but it is worth every line

It is not very often that you hear about something that someone is doing and it just makes you smile from the inside. Well, the project of Dutzi Designs Inc. is one such story. !!!


The project is that of Ariane Dutzi. Ariane lives here in the Yucatan and has started a line, Dutzi Designs Inc., to help the communities of the Yucatan. As a former fashion editor from New York and Paris, she moved to Mexico where she is making an impact in the beautiful community that she is now a part of.


When the Swine Flu scare erupted in Mexico last April it created a mass exodus of tourists in the Yucatan and the communities of the area really suffered. As the “infodemic” spun out of control, a whole bunch of totally healthy people sat in the deserted towns of the Yucatan and then found themselves without people to sell their handiwork to. Ariane has since developed the Dutzi Design Rescue Bag. Complete with a label befitting of the project, a small outlined face of a pig, these bags are as eco-friendly green as they are well made and beautiful.


The whole project really is something special. As a way of helping the Mayan community that lives in the areas around Valladolid, about 70 women as well as some men make each and every bag. The project is not only a means for so many women to help provide for their families, but also helps preserve the beautiful culture of the indigenous Maya. With all of the proceeds from the sales of the bag going directly into the project, this community of women continues to be able to help sustain themselves especially in a time where so many of us here in the Yucatan are feeling the devastating consequences of the hype of the swine flu.


Here is a bit of history about how such a special project came to be. Ariane is an amazingly beautiful woman who after being born in Germany moved to Paris to study at the Sorbonne. After graduation Ariane got a job as a foreign correspondent for a German publication. Due to her location in Paris, fashion was the tallest order. During the reign of top supermodels and skyrocketing talent in the design world, Ariane had the privilege of interviewing and working with some of the most talented designers in the world. Having had studied history Ariane had an interest in fashion’s history and the artisans that made such wonderful pieces.


She told me a beautiful story about one example of stories that she loved to do. It was of the artisans who made the soles for Chanel shoes and Gucci shoes. It was only these very specific artisans that did the soles in a traditional way. The use of chemicals, if any at all, where minimal and the result was sole for a shoe fit for Hera herself. As I am sure anyone who owns a pair of Chanel shoes will attest to. She told me how the stories of these artisans, their craft and the devotion they give such a craft really intoxicated her. It intoxicated me just listening to it. After her move to Mexico, she found a similar passion for the artisans in her new home country. But more on that in a minute, I jump ahead of myself.



Ariane then came to Mexico for a vacation in the beautiful town of Cuernavaca just outside of Mexico City. Known as the “City of Eternal Spring” for its year long perfect weather, it was over… the love obsession had begun.


Ariane took this time in her life to figure out the passions that she wanted to follow. Not quiet sure which way she was going to take herself, she headed to Tulum. Working in the hotel industry, Ariane got to stretch her creativity and interest in design in to decorating and furniture design. She helped design, promote and staff not just one Coqui Coqui hotel… but 3, Tulum, Coba and Valladolid. After investing much energy and love into these projects Ariane once again went to New York for inspiration for her next path.


This next path turned out to be working with an old friend from the fashion industry to open a vintage discovery showroom. Not a store, but more an inspirational space for designers and artists to come and get inspired. Working with wonderful textures and colors and looking at things from the past in a new light is what sparked the fuse that lead the way for Ariane’s next direction. It was hear that she began to learn the skill of noticing 1 small detail or 1 texture and create a whole concept out of it.


Now back in Mexico, she began to make beautiful bags from vintage materials. Being very drawn to burlap, the bags began to take shape organically as she rediscovered the Mexico that she had left. The straps are all hand made by the indigenous Maya who have crafted such belts for generations. More and more Ariane needed help to craft the bags that had become so popular. At one point, Ariane had to make a choice. Was she going to commit 100% and dive fully into her project and trust in the Universe to take care of her or go back? Luckily for us all she chose to invest fully into the project.


As she needed more and more help she befriended and employed more and more Mayan women from her community. What blossomed out of this first year was a workshop in which women in the community began to learn about their finances and how to have some control over them.


The most important thing about the workshop as it developed was that these women were able to remain the women that were before with the duties that they had before. To celebrate all of the things that makes us all such remarkable women. We have the special gift of taking care of our families needs, being there for our families and wanting to be able to enjoy our families and Ariane did not want these women to give any of that up just so they could work as well.



I have not even started to tell you about the amazing bags themselves… these bags, made of vintage burlap or 100% recycled white raffia. They are absolutely beautiful and are not only made by hand with love and care but, probably because of that fact, are incredibly well made.


In addition to the “Rescue Bag” Ariane’s whole line of couture bags are being sold in stores and boutiques all over New York as well as in Paris, Santa Fe, Malibu, CA, Mexico and over the internet. One of the best ways to get your own Rescue Bag is to drive over and see the project for yourself. Valladolid is a beautiful town about an hour from Tulum and wonderfully worth a visit. What a fantastic souvenir of a trip to the Yucatan. Luckily you can also buy one online and have it sent to you. Check out the website with information about how to purchase your very own bag.


These bags are perfect for both men and women. I especially love the bike messenger bag for men. These bags reflect both a consciousness for the earth and an effort to protect and cherish it, but also for the wonderful communities of Mayan women in the Yucatan.


I am so excited to see that the very first couture Dutzi dress has just been made. I cannot wait to see as more and more clothing comes from these guys. The furniture designed by Dutzi Designs is stunning as well. I will be getting more info about the clothing and furniture and will post again. Stay tuned.

So…. Do you want to help… can you help… If yes… here are a few ways that you can…
• If you, or anyone you know, own a shop or a boutique and would like to carry Dutzi Designs in your store, you can get in touch with Ariane (or me if you want)
• You can order a bag online directly from the source.
• If you are vacationing in Mexico, you can arrange to see the project and the beautiful town of Valladolid and pick up the absolutely BEST souvenir in Mexico.
• You can simply donate to the project via their website
• If you are getting married and are looking for the perfect bridesmaid gifts, these stunning bags and clutches are the perfect reminder of a perfect Mexican wedding (and the Karma points!!!)
• If you are looking for the perfect auction item… imagine a beautiful Dutzi Design couture bag filled with stunning crafts, clothing and tokens of the beautiful Mayan culture. I would be happy to help you put something together (I am sure Ariane could help as well.) What a perfect way to help 2 causes at once.
• Tell everyone you know about the project because it is a really special one.

Mexico receives praise for response to Swine Flu

There was an article printed recently by the Associated Press that praised Mexico for its response to the Swine Flu pandemic that erupted in late April. Mexico by all accounts such down an entire country in a matter of a few days.

President Calderon shut down schools, all government buildings and major tourists attractions. This cost, and continues to cost, the country of Mexico billions of dollars. Mexico is being praised for its fast and decisive reaction to the swine flu and its extreme measures to keep the citizens and visitors in Mexico safe.

The massive shut down and massive media explosion caused a major exodus of tourists from the area and thousands of people lost their jobs. Tourism is one of Mexico's larges commodities and the news media, by drastically over reacting and using fear mongering tactics in an effort to sell more papers and air time, directly caused many more people then necessary to loose their jobs.

I was very glad to see that even the media themselves began reporting on the the issue of blowing the issue drastically out of proportion.

Now this is not to say that the whole situation was not, and continues to be, a very scary reality for the entire world. But media needs to understand the drastic effect that they have on local communities when they are not true to facts.

Here is the article that was in the associated press.

Mexico wins praise for swine flu response

AP – Pan American Health Organization Director Mirta Roses Periag speaks during the 'Lessons Learned and Preparedness … .By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ, Associated Press Writer Olga R. Rodriguez, Associated Press Writer – Fri Jul 3, 9:37 pm ET
CANCUN, Mexico – As swine flu runs rampant in the Southern Hemisphere winter, world health experts are concerned that some hard-hit countries have been reluctant to take forceful measures to protect public health.

Only Friday did Argentina's new health minister, Juan Manzur, raise the country's official death toll to 44. He now estimates that as many as 320,000 people have been stricken with influenza, including about 100,000 with swine flu — a huge jump in what the government acknowledged previously, and an indication that Argentina's hospitals will remain overwhelmed for months.

Britain, for its part, had refused to do widespread testing for swine flu, slowing the World Health Organization's efforts to declare that the viral spread had become a pandemic. Britain's Health Minister Andy Burnham belatedly acknowledged Thursday that Britain needs to revamp its response and could see up to 100,000 new swine flu cases a day by the end of August.

The government was reluctant to implement unpopular measures leading up to last Sunday's midterm elections in Argentina. Now that they're over, it ramped up its response this week — doubling the winter vacation to a month for schools nationwide, sending pregnant women and other vulnerable workers home for 15 days and urging people to avoid crowds whenever possible.

But Argentina still refuses to declare a national public health emergency, despite ranking third in the world for swine flu deaths behind the United States and Mexico.

"An unfortunate situation in Argentina was this mix of elections and a pandemic, which we epidemiologists don't recommend," said Mirta Roses, director of the Pan American Health Organization, which has 25 experts working in Argentina this week.

Mexico, in contrast, deserves the whole world's thanks for its forceful, costly and very public response, which included a near-total shutdown of the nation's public life that cost the country $3.5 billion.

It helped slow the initial spread of the virus and gave other nations more time to prepare, said World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan.
"Mexico gave the world an early warning, and it also gave the world a model of rapid and transparent reporting, aggressive control measures, and generous sharing of data and samples," Chan said Thursday during a two-day summit of health ministers in Cancun.

Just how effective Mexico's draconian response was will take some time to determine, because scientists will have to compare what was done with what might have happened had the country done nothing, said Nancy Cox, who leads the influenza division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"However, they were so courageous to do what they did. It impressed the entire world," Cox said.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon also faced resistance at home — he said some state officials wanted to hide the numbers for fear it would cause panic, but he overruled them. Mexico's toll has since risen to 10,687 cases, including 119 deaths.

"For many people across the world, Mexico was demonized precisely because it was providing truthful information," Calderon said.

The national shutdown in Mexico prompted Cuba and Argentina to cancel flights to Mexico and left a stigma that still hurts Mexico's all-important tourism industry. But Calderon said Mexico's reaction "allowed other countries to take preventive measures or activate their emergency programs."

Mexico's public health system also was overwhelmed initially, as doctors struggled to figure out how to fight the strange new virus.

Now they know that most patients survive if given proper treatment quickly, and that common seasonal influenza kills many more people. Even so, Argentina and Chile have struggled with huge caseloads.

"What's going on in the Southern Hemisphere really has lessons for everybody," said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's top flu expert. "We have learned how important preparedness is."

But no amount of preparation can make up for systemic weaknesses, Cox said.

"If your health care system is already strained prior to the advent of a new disease that is causing a lot of infection in people, you are going to have tremendous problem with cases piling up," she said.

Chile has 7,342 confirmed swine flu cases, compared to 1,587 for Argentina, but only 15 deaths, in part because it had more antiviral drugs stockpiled and was able to respond more proactively. Argentina — already facing a huge caseload of bronchitis and common flu cases — hasn't had enough ventilators to treat everyone, Cox said.

"There are all these unexpected events that occur when you have a new pathogen, and some of these have played in the situation in Argentina," Cox said.

Australia has the most cases in the Asia-Pacific region — more than 4,568, including 10 deaths. Worldwide, the WHO said there were 337 deaths and more than 80,000 confirmed cases in 121 countries this week.

____

AP Medical Writer Maria Cheng in London and Vicente Panetta in Buenos Aires contributed to this report.

Swine flu Free Guarantee in Mayan Rivera

The post below was written by a friend of mine in Playa del Carmen. Check out Life's a Beach for more information in the Playa del Carmen area. For those of you who read this as well as my other blog- Rosas Clan in Tulum- you get to see it twice!

Whether you already have a trip planned to visit the beautiful Riviera Maya or are considering taking advantage of the fabulous deals now available in the wake of the Swine Flu scare, this article in today's "Por Esto" newspaper will be of great interest to you. A link to the online article is above and I have taken the liberty of utilizing Google Translator for your reading convenience. The translation is not 100% grammatically correct, but it is reasonable enough to follow.

With the emblem "guarantee free of influenza" (Flu Free guarantee), assures the traveler three years travel free if they have symptoms of human influenza eight days after they return from their trip by Olivia Vázquez Hotel chains in the Mexican Caribbean began a more aggressive campaigns that have been internationally to revive international tourism. With the emblem "guarantee free of influenza (Flu Free guarantee) that assures the traveler three years travel free if they have symptoms of human influenza eight days after he returns from his trip, which seeks to demonstrate the confidence that exists by destino.Dentro of health promotion strategies, the hotel sector in coordination with the Resort, this week will be sending a personalized letter to U.S. President Barack Obama or Hilary Clinton Secretary of State, to be published in the U.S. newspaper circulation where it is requested adjournment of the alert (warning) indicates that travel to Mexico only if absolutely necessary because it inhibits the influx of tourism. Zalvidea Fernando Garcia, director of the Grand Resort Hotel and the Best Day tour operator, said that at least five thousand hotel rooms as Secrets, Royal Resort, Charisma and others who joined the campaign, but it is estimated as we go on to join other hotel chains to strengthen advocacy in Mexico. This promotion started yesterday and will run through the main cities of United States and Canada in order to revive the tourist markets, since it is in promoting the confidence of the Mexican Caribbean operates to the highest standards of hygiene and safety and ensures the health of the destination. Additional to this promotion, special packages are added to the hotel is offering value-added as a free night, tickets to recreational parks, archeological sites, free dinners, spa services, etc. The hotel considered a leader who is now the best time Mexican travel to the Caribbean, and that excellence in service is reflected directly in the personal and the atmosphere of trust that is generated. Hence also be sought this week to lift the warnings issued to the passenger who was referred to visit Mexico, and that still prevails announcement issued two weeks ago, and that conditions be changed. In fact it as well as shipping and airlines already provide for the revitalization and have started to sell the destination. The letter is prepared in the state's Tourism Council is expected to be released this week to further accelerate the process of recovery and moving on reservations, which for now remain at the minimum levels, although it began to flow.
By May 25, with the celebration of Memorial Week which is held in United States, you could earn points in hotel occupancy, which is still at levels 20 to 24% in most developments.
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News Stories

Mexico receives praise for reaction to swine flu.
What to do in case of a Hurricane.
Swine flu Guarantee
Important Information about safety in Tulum and the Rivera Maya
Is Tulum Safe to visit?