Blending Papel Picado Art with Ancient Spirituality to Create a Soccer Jersey Collection

For Mexican designer Hugo Rosas, the country’s most iconic street decorations are not mere ornaments. They are a way of seeing the world, a philosophy of celebration and remembrance that he is now stitching into the heart of a soccer jersey. 

As the world turns its eyes to Mexico as a co-host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Rosas, through his brand Mexclart, is proposing a different kind of trophy: the recovery of a spiritual connection to the past.

His latest collection, “Calados del Alma” or “Cutouts of the Soul,” is a testament to this vision. Drawing directly from the delicate, perforated tissue paper of papel picado, the jerseys are not just printed with a pattern; they are physically cut away, creating an aesthetic of fragility and depth that is usually reserved for altars and festivities. This is not a superficial borrowing of motifs. 

The result is stunning and contrasts with the missteps by Adidas in the design and manufacture of Mexico’s official World Cup Jersey. 

Rosas aims to embed the very act of ofrenda, or offering, into the fabric of the garment. As he explained, each piece is meant to be an offering from the wearer—an offering of their actions, their thoughts, and their passions in honor of those who are no longer here. It transforms the jersey from a simple kit into a wearable act of commemoration, a philosophy deeply rooted in the joy of Mexico’s Día de Muertos.

The essence of the collection lies in its pre-Hispanic soul. This is most powerfully expressed in the figures that adorn the fabric. The very first shirt the Rosas brothers ever designed featured Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent deity revered by various pre-Hispanic civilizations. 

Andrés Rosas oversees marketing and connects deeply with a worldview he describes as systemic and balanced, a vision of the world as an interconnected system rather than an extractive resource for human benefit. 

This design philosophy is the bedrock of Mexclart’s identity, a challenge to the purely commercial logic of sportswear. Elsewhere in the collection, one also finds Mictlantecuhtli, the formidable Aztec ruler of the underworld, whose image Rosas considers a kind of modern armor for carrying the pride and passion of one’s roots.

Bringing such profound concepts to life requires a painstaking process far removed from industrial manufacturing. The collection is an evolution of a previous series, “Ofrenda Viva” or “Live Offering,” and the craftsmanship reflects this artisanal ambition. 

Each shirt is painstakingly cut and hand-sewn in a process that can take up to three weeks per piece, with the cutting and sewing alone requiring between eight and ten hours of manual labor. The choice of material was a deliberate lesson in adaptation. The team initially experimented with natural fibers, seeking an authentic, ecological material. But the weight and structural demands of the intricate cutouts were too great. They ultimately settled on polyester because, unlike natural threads, it can be cut like paper without becoming vulnerable to tears or rips, ensuring that the delicate, soulful design can withstand the rigors of the beautiful game.

Hugo Rosas finds his inspiration in the living traditions of indigenous communities where ancient ceremonies and customs are still practiced. His work is a conscious attempt to ensure that the divine beings his ancestors honored are not lost to history. He dreams of bringing these gods into the present, giving the modern Mexican the option to carry them proudly. As he puts it, wearing one of his creations is like donning a piece of modern armor—a shield not of metal, but of cultural pride and respect. 

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, Hugo Rosas demonstrates that the most powerful way to represent a nation is by carrying the weight of its ancestors with quiet, artisanal devotion.