ALL Tied Up.

Mexico's Pineda Covalin Design House is hitting it big with a line of ties and scarves with pre-Hispanic motifs.

IN THE SUMMER OF 1994, CRISTINA Pineda, who was studying textile design at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, and Ricardo Covalin, who was studying industrial design, immersed themselves in the indigenous culture and way of life in Merida, Yucatan, as part of a three-month social service requirement.

To get to know the people and the area, they visited archeological sites, ruins and colonial areas and lived in the indigenous communities. Many of the community members were unemployed artists, and the students taught them how to make original designs in various colors, shapes and sizes and sell them as a means to support their families. "We fell in love with pre-Hispanic culture," Covalin says.

A year after graduating in 1995, Pineda was taking classes at the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City when she was asked to design a product that could be sold at the museum's store. She got in touch with Covalin, and the two presented the museum with pre-Hispanic designs for ties and scarves. The museum didn't have the budget to produce the manufacturer's minimum of 10,000 pieces, so it offered to display the ties and scarves in their stores on consignment. They agreed, borrowing money from their families to pay for the production costs.

Suitcase full of culture. Three months later, the Pineda Covalin Design House was born. With no business experience and no customers, they started cold calling prospective clients, hoping that the grandeur of Mexico's past would work its magic. Armed with guts and the originality of their product to back them up, Pineda and Covalin went door to door and from restaurant to coffee shop meetings, lugging their designs in a suitcase.

The two gradually began to establish their brand thanks to store and restaurant patrons, whose curiosity was peaked after seeing the contents of the suitcase. "At the beginning, it was difficult," Covalin says. "Some of our calls were not returned and some were blatantly rejected. But we persevered."

Capturing the beauty, challenge and greatness of the pre-Hispanic era at the height of its magnificence is the raison d'etre of the Pineda Covalin Design House. Beautiful silk is used to weave elements of myths, archeology and history into their designs. Their objective: to keep the wonders of the ceremonies, the customs and the magical world of indigenous culture alive through art and fashion.

Their designs tell stories of offerings made in the presence of Gods and introduce rituals where animals and priests--in a splendor of colors--come together, enveloping viewers in the mystic of the pre-Hispanic empire.

One example is the Mayan legend of K'IN (meaning the moon or night) and AK'AB (meaning the sun or day). The young woman K'IN and her bow AK'AB fell in love at first sight, but the young woman's grandfather wouldn't let him near her. So AK'AB turned himself into a hummingbird and flew over to her room. Her grandfather shot and wounded the bird, but K'IN secretly took care of it. At midnight, AK'AB changed back into human form and convinced K'IN to run away with him. They made love, and the power of the act transformed them into the sun and the moon. They took their places in heaven, giving the world day and night.

Legendary love affair. This legend is the inspiration behind a Pineda Covalin perfume and cologne. The scents were imported from Germany and France: a floral perfume for women (K'IN) and a natural woodsy cologne for men (AK'AB). They are prepared in a lab in Mexico City and packaged by Pineda Covalin in a Mayan-styled bottle with designs referring to the legendary love affair between the sun and the moon.

Pineda Covalin's products have found fans high up in the world. When Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo inaugurated an exposition at the Museum of Anthropology Covalin and Pineda presented him with a tie. In corporate Mexico, executives from Disney, Bacardi, Grupo Modelo (maker of Corona beer), Bayer, American Express, Nestle and BMW have been seen sporting Pineda Covalin ties. Even Hillary Clinton was presented with a bottle of K'IN as a gift during her visit to Mexico City.

Since it opened in 1996. Pineda Covalin's sales--which the partners won't disclose--have doubled every six months, While it took them almost a year to sell their first production of 10,000 ties and scarves, that now represents less than their present monthly sales average. Pineda, 27, and Covalin, 28, manage 11 employees and 30 salespeople.

A big reason for their success is Mexicans' desire to return to their roots. "There is a resurgence of Mexican-made products," Covalin says. "You see it mostly among the young people. Bars and fancy restaurants used to pride themselves on cool English names. Now it is the exact opposite; they are all in Spanish. Today young people are drinking tequila shots, not cognac."

The National Advertising Council backs him up. The group started promoting Mexican products in 1971 with slogans such as "Made in Mexico means good quality." But now the trend is more toward homegrown products with a certain mexicanidad. "The increase in exports has given rise to the feeling that if Canadian, British and American people want our products, maybe we should, too," says Monica Martinez, a campaign manager at the National Advertising Council.

Pineda Covalin has taken inspiration from everything that has to do with the pre-Hispanic era. The Bonampak Murals that depict the presentation of a new heir to the throne, the hieroglyphics used to represent Mayan months and the different masks worn by the rain god Tlaloc in Mixteco, Zapoteco and Mexica styles can be found in the company's ties and scarves.

A trade advertisement the design house placed in Aeromexico's in-flight magazine, Escala, spurred the decision to begin offering companies special and exclusive designs. Little did they realize the jumpstart effect this would have on their business. "Calls started coming in from all sorts of people making orders for specially designed ties and scarves--the Mexican Dog Federation, Motorola, Marriott," Covalin says. "We had to branch out."

In designing these ties, the house uses symbols, figures and art from national monuments (the rights for which they pay to the National Institute of Anthropology), a blend of the pre-Hispanic with the company's logo or an original design. "It is a high-quality product," says Antonio Martinez Reyes, point of sales manager for Grupo Modelo. "For us, the most interesting aspect is that it is Mexican, just like our beer."

When Disney opened its marketing office in Mexico City, executives heralded Pineda Covalin's beautiful designs for both being reminiscent of the rich pre-Hispanic culture and up to par with the latest fashion in accessories. They were ecstatic to have a truly Mexican--but not typical--gift they could present to their clients. The packaging reads Disney, but everything else is Pineda Covalin. "Who thought of this idea?" Manuel Garcia Lascurain, Disney's marketing and synergy manager for Latin America, asked. "I want some for myself!"

From the beginning, Pineda Covalin thought internationally. When they put together their first packaging, which tells the legends and myths of Mayan and Aztec symbols, among others, they did so in six different languages. Their first breakthrough outside Mexico came when they made some sales in Argentina. They have recently begun to focus their efforts on London, Los Angeles, and New York.

Pineda and Covalin are a new breed of Mexicans--Generation X'ers who appreciate where they came from. Traditional mariachis took part in the inaugural celebrations in October 1999 of their new and more spacious offices located in La Roma, a trendy neighborhood in Mexico City. But they've also launched a website (www.pinedacovalin.com) that features all their designs--and for purchase. And while business is good, the pair of entrepreneurs still seems to be enjoying themselves. "It's fun," Covalin says. "I really enjoy the idea of being able to make a difference, making Mexicans realize they have a rich past they should be proud of."