Over a year of preparation and three trips documenting our daily travels through Mexico, we are excited to finally release the Artisan Project film (featured above). A story about Salvador Pulido nickname "Chava", a brilliant 26-year old design & research manager of Studio Xaquixe, a glass blowing studio in Oaxaca, Mexico. Salvador narrates the film and links the story to Apolis' industrial design partnership with Chivas Regal. Over the last year, Apolis has up-cylced the waste from Chivas' commercial Mexico manufacturing to create something beautiful with a team of local artisan glassblowers. Apolis was introduced to Salvador and his team as one of the last remaining glassblowing studios in Mexico with 14 artisans in a 380-square meter work space. The film was shot over multiple trips to Mexico and follows Salvador from his home in Oaxaca, on his bike ride to work, a day-in-the-life of blowing glass, and a field trip to the commercial Chivas manufacturing in Monterrey, Mexico. The film foreshadows the collection of 100% recycled glassware Apolis designed with Salvador over the last year, which is available for pre-order NOW and on schedule to ship February 2016. Salvador summarizes the project with the following quote:
"This is the beginning of an amazing partnership that is enabling small artisan studios and large factories to collaborate and learn from each other. Studios like Xaquixe have the potential to achieve sustainability and social good without the typical constraints faced by larger businesses. With the invaluable support from Chivas and Apolis our carefully-crafted products have the opportunity to be globally showcased; reaching new markets, but most importantly, inspiring people that are eager for change. A hand-blown item from Oaxaca demonstrates that glassware can be sustainable, beautiful and created in the most unexpected places."