Interview by Casey Wojtalewicz

Rafael Prieto

As many of our Canyon stories start, our first connection with Rafael came from a mutual respect for each other's brand, work, and passion. A simple DM lead to long conversations about parallels in production between quality chocolate and coffee such as single origin sourcing and terrior.

June 9, 2022

Photos: Justin Chung

About Rafael

As many of our Canyon stories start, our first connection with Rafael came from a mutual respect for each other's brand, work, and passion. A simple DM lead to long conversations about parallels in production between quality chocolate and coffee such as single origin sourcing and terrior.

CWDo you have a daily ritual? Has it changed over time?

RP

I’m very inconsistent, I adjust to the context , the weather, the situation, the city, the emotional state I am.

Lately I can say I’m quite into going to Union Square Market in the mornings, Mondays and Wednesdays, this early interaction with people, the kindness around it, the smell and color of vegetables, it just feels right to me.

I mainly exercise after the market and voila!

Then since I am very awake when I wake up, I don’t take any stimulant until 12 pm, which is when I take a coffee, I like it warm no matter if it’s winter or summer, and it feels like a moment where I take a second breath to keep on going.

CWWhat was your path into design? Have you always been a visually creative person?

RP

My path into design is rather strange to explain, at least to me.

I was indeed always creative, and always found my way into what I believed to be design. Design being more about culture, about emotion, and being able to speak to people from a visual point of view.

In the studio we are always aiming to create or produce something meant to be beautiful, relevant, interesting, and understandable. It’s an ongoing exercise of balance between function, emotion, and aesthetics.

CWYou split your time between Mexico City and New York. How does your life contrast between the two cities, and what do you love about them?

RP

I mainly live in NY. There is such balance to my life.

In México, I feel extremely free and so comfortable. It’s so much fun! The city is delicious and complex in every angle which makes it very fun.

In New York, I feel great too. I have very close friends here, and I am constantly challenged, by art, by people, by the projects we get to work on… I feel amazed constantly by people and what is being created here. Things happen in a second and, you just have to roll with it.

CWWhat was the catalyst for Casa Bosques? How did you get into chocolate?

RP

I got into chocolate because I love chocolate. It was a world I had to explore. I started creating Casa Bosques one year after I started my design agency, Savvy Studio, in 2010, It has been such an interesting and pleasurable journey. As I carry on, I am more open about expressing myself through it, flavors, photography, shapes, words…

CWWe love the spaces of Savvy and Casa Bosques — the studio, the bookstore, and Pensión. What kinds of intentions were behind these spaces? What did you want them to feel like?

RP

The intentions have always been about being personal, welcoming, honest, cozy, and of course, with romance over it all. Romance is everything.

CWFrom where (or how) do you draw inspiration?

RP

Inspiration is everywhere, people, books, art, food, travel, words, music…

I don't seek it particularly, I just go around every day open to see and appreciate things and eventually that will inform my practice.

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