Mariana Cortés Espinoza, Digi Mart USA News (Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico): Mariana Cortés Espinoza, a graduate of the Faculty of Commerce and Administration of Tampico (FCAT) at the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas (UAT), presented her entrepreneurial project focused on making traditional Tamaulipas costumes during the UAT Book Fair. The initiative combines the business and administrative knowledge she gained in university classrooms with her lifelong passion for dance.
Cortés Espinoza’s involvement with the UAT began in childhood, when she was first drawn to the performing arts. After joining the Jazz UAT group under the direction of teacher Lupita Ruiz Ortiz, she developed skills in jazz, urban dance and hip hop.
During her high school studies she turned to Mexican folklore, building a close connection with traditional forms of expression.
Her move into design and sewing came after the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by her own experience as a dancer and the need for high-quality stage costumes. What began as a personal effort grew into a formal business specializing in the traditional Tamaulipas country costume, inspired by the cuera worn in the huapango performances of the state’s southern region.
The young designer highlighted the distinctive features of her garments, which include greca patterns, traditional ornaments known as “barbas,” and a wide range of colors that celebrate Tamaulipas’ cultural heritage. She also acknowledged the support of the UAT, both through the academic foundation of her degree at the Faculty of Commerce and Administration of Tampico and through instructors who guided her through the formal registration of her brand.
Her creations have crossed local and national borders, sold in states ranging from Baja California to Quintana Roo, as well as in various locations across the United States. Alongside her business work, Cortés Espinoza maintains an international dance career.
Together with her group, she has represented Mexico at festivals and competitions in Turkey, Romania, Kosovo and Croatia, earning a second-place finish at a competition held in Kosovo.
Concluding her participation in the UAT Book Fair, she expressed deep pride in representing Tampico, Tamaulipas and her alma mater on stages around the world. She reaffirmed her commitment to continue promoting Mexican roots through art and the creative industries.
Through such meeting spaces, the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas reaffirms its mission to foster talent, entrepreneurial spirit and the preservation of cultural identity among its students and graduates.
