Now meet Mariana! In our previous blog, we re-introduced you all to our workshop owner, longtime business partner, and good friend, Mariano. But now we want to introduce you to his firstborn daughter, Mariana.
Check out the previous blog if you haven't yet!
Fast forward to 2024…
When Mariano and Lala left Chattanooga all those years ago, they brought their newborn baby with them. Fast forward 15 years, and that “baby” decided she wanted to come back to Lookout Mountain.
In 2024, when Mariana Stella Perez was 15 years old, she moved in with us for her sophomore year of high school and spent a year in the States, attending Notre Dame High School. It was a full-circle moment for all of us.
Now that some time has passed, we asked Mariana to tell us about her experience growing up with two remarkable parents, spending her childhood in the Stray Dog world, and being connected to her kooky god-parents.
Here’s what she had to say:
“Before I start, I think it’s best to introduce myself. My name is Mariana Perez, and I’m the proud daughter of Mariano Perez and Angela Hernandez, better known as Lala. I’m excited to share a little bit of our story with you.
Every Stray Dog piece begins with a design from my lovely godmother, Jane, but it is my father, Mariano Perez, who brings that vision to life. He is a mastermind but even though my father is the head of the workshop, there is an entire team behind him who plays a key role in bringing each piece to life. As the oldest daughter, I’ve grown up watching all of this happen. Every time I’m at the workshop, I feel a sense of magic and pride as I see everyone there, always with a smile and always happy to be there. 
Behind all of this has always been my mother. She is a quiet supporter who loves the workshop, and the people there love her too. I truly believe that without my mother’s support and my father’s mind, we wouldn’t be here today. Both of them are a constant inspiration to me.
There are so many good memories from my childhood in that workshop. My sister, Paulina, and I liked to “work” there during summer break, and at the end of the day, my father would give us a couple of pesos. I especially remember watching the shipments go out, which my sister has always been fascinated by. She loves climbing onto the back of the truck with my dad before they start loading it up. I think that in those moments, she is pretending she is the one directing the shipment. I think that comes from how much she looks up to our father and the way he brings every idea to life.
We have always been a close and united family. Because of that, the decision to move to the States with my godparents for a year was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. Leaving home, even for the sake of growing, is never easy. But it was also one of the decisions that taught me the most, and one I will never forget. I will forever be thankful for that experience. I met so many new people and made new friends who became like family. I also found ways to stay connected to home. I became a little more independent and confident in myself, but it also made me appreciate my family in a deeper way.”
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Hearing Mariana tell her own story is such a special reminder that Stray Dog has always been about much more than the things we make. Over the years, it has connected our two families across countries, generations, and workshops. There are so many quiet forces behind the scenes that make Stray Dog what it is, and it’s a good reminder that this is a small family company with so much love and creativity involved.
