Miami - January 23, 2009

Dalia Lama

Dalia Pascal Totes

Tutor: Study session time. Let’s start with physics. Define Pascal’s principle.

Student: I know this one! Never go to the beach without the proper accessories.

Tutor: Huh?

Student (setting her bag on the table): Local designer Dalia Pascal, who was born in Uruguay and raised in Mexico, makes ethnic totes that double perfectly as beach bags.

Tutor: I love the crisp colors. But won’t they get damaged by the sun and sand?

Student: Nah, Pascal uses natural textiles from villages throughout Latin America. From agave thread to huipil fabrics, these materials are the same ones used to make traditional, everyday garb. And Pascal partners with government agencies to train the children of the ethnic artisans, so that the craft doesn’t die out. (Student rises.)

Tutor: Where are you going?

Student: The beach. That totally counted as cultural anthropology.

Available at Emporium, 4710 South Le Jeune Road, Coral Gables (786-268-0689 or shopemporiummiami.com); Rebel, 6669 Biscayne Boulevard, Upper East Side (305-758-2369). For more information, go to daliapascal.com.