What are our values?

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

We value clean lines and natural material. Our design approach has a European flair (German, French, Scandinavian) due to our design philosophy coming from the Bauhaus but also through the lens of Latin America and Mexico in particular with everything that is embedded in it: rawness, nature, human hands, symbols, tropical modern, brutalism, modernist. We work and invite to work with designers from various countries that share these universal values.

TRANSMISSION

We dedicate a lot time and energy in using traditional and ancestral know-how, sometimes old from 700 years old but also we are one of the only companies in the world to have developed transmission and training programs to specific know-hows like the weaving of palm or seagrass for example.

INNOVATION

Being environment friendly starts with a good design that is timeless. It is in the products and supplies we use. Sometimes we run out of material because there is too much rain, or not enough. We embrace this natural cycle. We are also one of the first companies in the furniture industry worldwide using a full vegan, non-toxic, non-animal base CACTUS leather alternative. We have many similar approaches at every level of what we do so it is in our DNA and necessarily needed in our marketing material.

Where does the name “Luteca” come from?

We were first inspired by Aztec mythology—which we truly love—but we also needed a name that could feel both antique and modern. Something that could embody the historic bridge between Mexico and France, while also reflecting the international identity of our founders, whose lives are rooted across France, the United States, and Mexico.

For us, the name had to highlight the way the French perspective—especially the spirit of Paris—can shine a light on remarkable craftsmanship. In our case, it means celebrating ancestral Mexican craft and design, both in philosophy and in practice.

Fun fact: many people are surprised to learn how much of Mexico City’s iconic look—its Parisian-inspired Haussmann-style architecture—emerged in the 19th century under Maximilian, Carlota, and Porfirio Díaz.

“Luteca” comes from “Lutetia,” the ancient Roman name for Paris. This French connection also threads through many of our designers’ stories. Cuban-born Clara Porset studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez studied crystal in France, winning multiple awards; he even became a finalist for the Louvre’s architecture project before it was ultimately realized by I.M. Pei.

One of our licensed designers, Michael van Beuren, stands out as the only Mexican designer to attend the Bauhaus, later studying under Josef Albers at Black Mountain College in North Carolina.

Today, we’re proud to welcome a cosmopolitan group of designers who genuinely share our values. And “LUTECA” is now an incontestable trademark—one we’re honored to stand behind.