A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER & CEO
It is the mission of Nena & Co. to design and create products that are majestic in design, hold high quality standards and celebrate the individuality of the Nena Society and the artistry of cultures around the world with ethical business practices and by creating sustainable income opportunities for Nena & Co. artisans.
Ali Hynek
Ali Hynek created Nena & Co. in 2013 to bring a piece of her Guatemalan culture to your colorful lifestyle. In Spanish, “nena” means “baby girl” or “darling” and is a nickname Ali’s mother affectionately calls her still. Growing up, Ali loved learning about her Guatemalan heritage through the food her mother and Abuelita (grandmother) cooked, and through the holiday traditions they shared with her. As an adult she became particularly interested in Guatemalan weaving and quickly learned that each loomed fabric has a story to tell. Visits to her mother’s homeland became an adventurous addiction as Ali and her mother/business partner, Cony, began tracking down the country’s best weavers and sourcing vintage Huipils (fabrics used for Nena & Co.’s one-of-a-kind bags). As the mother-daughter duo ventured into the textile business, they learned of the rigorous and ancient methods of traditional Guatemalan weaving. The more they learned, the more they realized it was necessary to honor the men and women they worked with by creating more reliable opportunities for them to earn a decent income through traditional weaving and leather craftsmanship. Nena & Co. is dedicated to paying fair wages, designing products that pay tribute to the beauty of the hand-loomed textiles, and to only using quality materials and craftsmanship to assemble products.
