Las Raíces

At this point you should know from Códice Boturini that the Aztecs weren’t just some dusty tribe wandering around for fun. They had big dreams. And when you’ve been on the road for centuries, you don’t settle for anything less than a god-given piece of land. Enter Las Raíces, our collection inspired by the moment these swamp-settling nomads turned into the rulers of an empire. 

TENOCHTITLAN

So there they were. After sacrificing enough people to make Jeffrey Dahmer look like a vegan chef, the Mexica finally found it: an eagle eating a snake on a cactus. Most would think, ‘Cool wildlife sighting.’ The Mexica? Nah. They saw a ‘Build Here’ sign from the gods. Problem was, their promised land was basically a floating turd in Lake Texcoco. Other tribes laughed. “You’re gonna build a city WHERE?” They built it anyway and called it Tenochtitlan. Proof that greatness sometimes smells like shit at first.

TLALOC

The god of rain. No rain, no food. Too much and your whole city drowned like a stray dog in a storm. Too little and your fields split open like cracked lips in the desert. Tlaloc wasn’t some cuddly god handing out blessings. He was the cartel boss of water, and his price was steep. The Aztecs didn’t pray to him because they felt spiritual. They prayed because without Tlaloc there was nothing. No crops. No power. No empire. Pray or dry up. Simple as that.

TLATOANI

Every empire needs a boss. For the Aztecs, that was the Tlatoani. These weren’t kings sitting pretty on golden thrones. They were warriors, priests, executioners, and CEOs all rolled into one. They laid down the rules of power and turned a swamp settlement into a force no one could ignore. Being Tlatoani wasn’t about wearing fancy feathers. It was about ruling with enough fear that your enemies pissed themselves just hearing your name. That’s how you run an empire.

A.D. 1325