Ep. 9 — Threads of a Global Life: Artisanship, Culture, and Craft with María Lee — Paris & Buenos Aires

In this intimate conversation, we sit down with María Lee in Paris—the founder and owner of Panorama Mundi—to explore a life shaped by travel, heritage, and the handmade. Rooted in Buenos Aires and Paris, María invites us into her world of artisanship and curation, where craft becomes a language for connection across cultures and continents.Born in Argentina to a Korean father who worked in textiles, María grew up immersed in materials, stories, and the realities of making things by hand. Over decades of travel—from the Andes to small workshops across Europe—she has built deep, lasting relationships with artisans whose work carries history, resilience, and meaning. Through Panorama Mundi, María creates a space that resists the pace of fast fashion, offering instead a living dialogue between cultures, crafts, and communities.In this episode, we explore:• María’s roots in Argentina and her father’s textile legacy• How heritage, migration, and identity shaped her relationship to craft• The origins of Panorama Mundi and the meaning behind its name• Finding artisans through trust, intuition, and long-term relationships• Stories of discovery—from informal workshops to established studios• The human and cultural cost of fast fashion• Living between Buenos Aires and Paris—and holding both worlds in dialogue• Curation as an act of care, friendship, and cultural preservation• How María lives with craft in her daily life• What it truly means to savor life through the handmadeMaría reminds us that craft is not just about objects, but about people, place, and time—and that to live globally is to live attentively. This is not just a conversation about fashion or design—it’s a meditation on how we choose to live, what we value, and the quiet power of making things by hand.Photo courtesy of María Lee.CONNECT WITH MARIA & PANORAMA MUNDIOn Instagram @marialeetyOn Instagram @panorama.mundiOnline at: https://panoramamundi.com/THE SAPORE PODCASTThe Sapore Podcast is an invitation to explore the world through the senses. Rooted in the Italian word sapore—meaning “to savor” and “to taste”—each episode features soulful conversations with chefs, winemakers, artists, designers, and creatives from around the world.From intimate kitchens in Florence to late-night wine bars in Paris and sacred rituals in Marrakesh, Sapore explores the rituals, memories, and places that connect us to a life well-traveled and well-lived.Follow along on Instagram:Studio Sapore: @studio.saporeHost Nisa Sedaghat: @__thesensorialistGet in touch:Email: [email protected]: www.studiosapore.comThe podcast is produced by Nisa Sedaghat, Studio Sapore.