THE RIO GRANDE SMILEY

Conceived under a vast blue sky in the valley for which it is named. Drawing inspiration from the visual stories left by the ancestors of the land’s indigenous people. Exploring a larger narrative surrounding the use of visual languages throughout human history.

THE COLLECTION

THE DEBUT OF THE RIO GRANDE SMILEY COLLECTION TRANSPORTS US TO THE INTERSECTION OF CLEAN MINIMAL DESIGN AND PLAYFUL CONTEMPORARY ELEMENTS, SKILLFULLY DELIVERING THE ESSENCE OF THE HIGH DESERT IN A SLEEK AND MODERN WAY. THE INAUGURAL ARTICLE OF THE COLLECTION, AS WELL AS OUR STUDIO, IS A CLASSIC YET SUMPTUOUS WARDROBE STAPLE.

GIVING COMFORT, STYLE, AND STORY.

COMFORT

STYLE

STORY

The Rio Grande Smiley was born under the endless blue New Mexican sky, where nature, culture, and craft have intersected in the most remarkable ways for centuries.

Its design journey starts with inspiration, where we found ourselves captivated by the vast collection of petroglyphs that grace the upper Rio Grande Valley. These pictographs were created in the centuries before colonization by the ancestors of the indigenous people of the land. The various ancient images etched into the rocks still echo the stories and wisdom of those who have walked the land before us, each symbol encapsulating the very essence of language and creative spirit coexisting.

But to contemplate the significance of these historic monuments also calls us to consider the importance of visual forms of language as a whole. These forms of communication and record keeping have been observed in many cultures around the world throughout the course of human history. It was only when the introduction of the alphabet and written text came into play that the use of pictography would be rendered obsolete, causing it to almost disappear entirely. Though, despite the decline of its use over time there seems to be something innate within our nature that continues to draw us back to using simpler ways of conveying our thoughts and stories.

Right when we begin to think that some things from the distant past are merely remnants of history, we find ourselves unexpectedly reminded of how they can resurface and resonate deeply within our contemporary culture. As this phenomenon appears to be cyclical in nature, we are thus invited to have a dialogue between the past and our present, where we will discover that despite our continuous evolution, there remains an unbreakable connection to utilizing ancient methods of expression. As much as we progress as a species, we simply cannot deny the appeal in the visual language of symbols.

It should come as no surprise that this connection to our ancient past would manifest itself in the rise of emojis and emoticons, the modern reincarnation of pictographic language. These new age glyphs have embedded themselves into the very fabric of our daily communications, functioning not only as a playful tool for conveying a wide array of feelings and narratives but also as a bridge linking experiences across the globe.

The Rio Grande Smiley design pays homage to this ongoing journey of expression that continues to change, adapt, and evolve, offering another perspective on a timeless universal language that resonates across generations.