Origin
Manto is a design project shaped by a contemporary sensibility, bringing the artisanal tradition of spinners and weavers from northern Argentina into dialogue with the legacy of urban tailoring.
Manto values the precision of handmade knowledge, respecting the individuality of each person involved in the creative and production process.
Manto is expressed through an elegance that goes beyond fashion.
Manto honours the crafts that embody a cultural heritage, translating them into unique and unrepeatable pieces.
It is contemporary design and craftsmanship.
It is the relationship between the village, its territory and the city.
It is a way of valuing know-how.
It is elegance in its essence.
It is respect for the crafts that sustain a cultural heritage.
It is a commitment to historical heritage.
It is human warmth.
Clara de la Torre
Founder - Partner
Creative & Design Direction
“Manto arose from my deep interest in nature and cultural diversity. In conceiving this project, I sought to connect, coexist, and collaborate with the communities of northwest Argentina.”
Verónica Olavide
Partner · Commercial Direction
“Manto connects us with the beauty of the essential and with the unequivocal power of the universal. It allows us to dialogue with the social from an anthropological perspective and invites me to inhabit a space where the raw and the beautiful emerge naturally.”
Diana Dai Chee Chaug
Partner - Product Development
“For me, Manto is a pure and genuine brand that, right from its beginnings, has represented passion and dedication. It speaks of shared values and the commitment we make to our land.”
In 1996, I began travelling to northern Argentina, drawn by other rhythms, by presence, and by a deep connection with nature. I was looking for a way of inhabiting life where making, territory and everyday experience were not separate.
Over time, those journeys gave shape to a project that allowed me to inhabit the territory, understand its rhythms, and build connections through making. That project was called Anaqmanta, a Quechua word meaning from the sky, from above.
Anaqmanta was my first textile gesture: pieces born from the dialogue between matter, landscape and body. Within them emerged the symbol of the mantle as protection, embrace and continuity.
From that path, a clearer name emerged: Manto, as a gesture of protection, care and human warmth.
From then on, the project was accompanied by Diana Dai Chee Chaug, through a shared sensitivity and a close attention to detail.
From the beginning, Diana understood something essential: textile has a soul.
Her presence helped sustain processes, translate decisions, and care for the craft.
In 2008, Verónica Olavide came to Manto through a genuine interest in the project and later joined its outward growth, bringing her experience in management, relationships, and commercial development. In 2014, she formally became a partner, strengthening the team and helping expand Manto's presence.
San Isidro, the heartbeat of Manto
The encounter with San Isidro — Iruya, Salta — emerged through the stories of an Andean community of spinners and weavers, in which tradition and craft are inseparable from life itself.
Among mountains rising to nearly 3,000 metres, spinning and weaving form part of everyday life.
In the gesture of spinning and in the rhythm of weaving, presence among the mountains suspends time, and making becomes timeless.
The community opened the doors of their homes to us, sharing a way of life grounded in respect for making, for the land, and for nature.
That bond has been sustained through sensitivity and respect for crafts passed down through tradition.