Meet Rafael Antonio Rositto | Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rafael Antonio Rositto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rafael Antonio, how does your business help the community?
Mayas Made in Honduras is a concept store which is the result of a fusion of culture and fashion in which each of our pieces showcases the identity of Honduras.

We work with a collective of designers and artisans back in Honduras, where our jewelry is originally from. Since we take pride in showcasing our culture and identity through our pieces, we also work directly with the Lenca tribe women who weave the fabric used in our various jewelry pieces. This has a direct impact in our artisan and designers’ economy because we work directly with them without the need of intermediaries which means that fair trade is implemented.

We are looking to exhibit Honduras in the world of fashion because we believe in the talent of our people back home.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Being a child that grew up between Miami and Honduras, I always yearned to see someone like me, represented. As I grew older, I would look forward to when it was my time to return to Honduras and spend time with friends and family. I am proud to represent Honduras where ever I go to with my brand. I am constantly learning and embracing creativity in order to keep Mayas evolving. I am still far from where I want to be business wise, but taking the proper steps to get where I want my brand to get.

I am taking each opportunity that I can, especially during weekends, since I am an elementary school teacher during the week, to participate in as many events as possible. In February, we started participating in different events such as the Mana Wynwood Fashion Pop Up. Exposure is important for any brand, especially for emerging ones.

I want the world to know that in Honduras we have hard working people with many hopes and dreams. This is my opportunity to showcase my beautiful homeland which I always hold close in my heart.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, I would definitely start the day in one of the many cute specialty coffee shops in Miami. Particularly in Fincas Coffee Shop located in Upper Buenavista, a few blocks north of Miami Design District. This is one of my favorites because they roast and serve Honduran Specialty coffee as well as delicious almond croissants and savory empanadas. You need to try their Cardamom Cold- Brew and their Raspberry Cold Brew, it’s to die for! Then, we would drive to Wynwood and just soak in all the art and delicious foods and drinks Wynwood has to offer. For lunch, we would stop at Novela Cafe Social and order one of their many signature dishes like the Shawarma Plate with a mimosa, or two. After lunch take a walk to Margaret Pace Park which has a beautiful view of South Beach and has a more local vibe.
Did I mention that I love coffee? Since we would be walking distance of The Hideout Miami, we would go and have a delicious latte or cappuccino there.
For dinner, we would go to my favorite Italian hole in the wall off of 7th Street and Northwest 57th Avenue, minutes away from the airport, Amor di Pasta. What makes this place so special is that their pasta is hand-made. My favorite dish is their Fettuccine Black Truffle!
Coming to Miami and not partying is a crime! So for our night out we would do some bar hopping in Brickell and end the night in RedBar which is a chill bar that plays all types of music and has amazing drinks!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Mayas Made in Honduras, my brand, definitely would not be here if it weren’t for our designer and artisan team in Honduras. When we started in 2012, two Honduran restaurants in Miami (Coco Baleadas and Casa Chan), which have sadly gone out of business, opened their doors to us and allowed to create pop up spaces during the weekends. This gave us the opportunity to become known within the Honduran community locally. In 2019, Rosita Hurtado and Julie Giliberti gave us the opportunity to participate in Next Generation Brands Bazaar which opened the doors to expand as a brand.

Website: mayashn.com

Instagram: mayasmadeinhn

Image Credits
Photographer: Henry Mata @henrymata03 2nd and 5th picture model : Lisie Batiz 3rd picture model: Vaslee Martinez