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With 27 years of experience and an international presence, Gabriela Cuéllar’s I’M CHRISTMAS has turned holiday décor into an immersive experience for shopping centers, hotels, television productions and private residences.
For Gabriela Cuéllar, Christmas begins long before December. At I’M CHRISTMAS, the Mexican company she founded nearly 27 years ago, the holiday season is imagined, designed and brought to life 365 days a year.
What began as a small business has grown into a company specializing in large-scale Christmas installations, with projects across Mexico, Peru, Chile, Panama and the United States, as well as potential expansion into Spain and France.
“I feel incredibly blessed as an entrepreneur, and very proud that, as a Mexican woman, I have gained international recognition,” Cuéllar said during the presentation of the I’M CHRISTMAS 2026 showroom.
From Mexico to the World
Galerías Insurgentes was one of the company’s first major clients. Liverpool and Centro Santa Fe followed, along with projects in cities throughout Mexico and collaborations with brands, institutions and major commercial spaces.
International expansion began in 2013 with Peru. Since then, I’M CHRISTMAS has taken its concepts to new markets while continuing to strengthen its presence beyond Mexico.
But one of the most significant shifts in the business came when its large-scale Christmas installations moved beyond shopping centers and into private homes.
For years, Cuéllar received requests to decorate residences and offices, but initially turned them down to focus exclusively on major installations.
That changed around 2019.
Today, residential, hospitality and corporate projects account for approximately 49% of I’M CHRISTMAS’ revenue.
When Christmas Came Home
A turning point came when Mexican television personality Andrea Legarreta approached the company to purchase a Christmas tree.
“I told her, ‘I don’t want to give you a tree. I want to decorate your entire house,’” Cuéllar recalled.
Legarreta began sharing the results on social media, and the response was immediate. According to Cuéllar, each post could generate around 15 new residential projects.
From there, I’M CHRISTMAS expanded into television productions and programs for Televisa, TV Azteca, Imagen Televisión and Telemundo.
The exposure demonstrated that the spectacle of a major commercial installation could also work on a much more intimate scale.
Mexican Design, 365 Days a Year
The philosophy behind I’M CHRISTMAS starts with a simple idea: think about Christmas all year long.
At its production facility in Tláhuac, Mexico City, designers, creatives and artisans develop everything from Christmas trees, ornaments and nutcrackers to reindeer, bears, sculptures, structures and complete installations.
The company operates specialized workshops dedicated to carpentry, metalwork, painting, sewing, fiberglass, sculpture and finishing.
“We believe the magic happens when talented people bring their efforts together,” Cuéllar said.
Nearly everything is made in Mexico. The main exception is some of the lighting, which is manufactured in China according to specifications developed by the company.
Several lighting elements that are now becoming popular across the industry have been part of I’M CHRISTMAS installations for more than 15 years.
From Following Trends to Creating Them
During the company’s early years, Cuéllar traveled to destinations such as New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Disneyland to experience some of the world’s most elaborate Christmas displays firsthand.
Today, inspiration can come from almost anywhere.
A piece of tableware, a plant, nature, fashion or a major international event can become the starting point for a new collection.
The creative team also looks to global cultural references such as the Met Gala, the Golden Globes and international color trends.
For the 2026 season, one source of inspiration is Cloud Dancer, Pantone’s Color of the Year, which I’M CHRISTMAS interprets through a luminous, elegant and contemporary vision of the holidays.
But according to Cuéllar, inspiration now travels in both directions.
Designers and companies from around the world request I’M CHRISTMAS catalogs, and concepts inspired by elements created by the Mexican firm subsequently begin to emerge elsewhere.
For Cuéllar, it is a sign that Mexican design can increasingly influence the visual language of Christmas around the world.
The 2026 Showroom: Stepping Into Another World
Every year, the I’M CHRISTMAS showroom offers an immersive look at the company’s latest collections.
The 2026 edition will take place at The St. Regis Mexico City, presenting concepts for residences, hotels, shopping centers and special projects.
The collections range from sophisticated white environments to settings inspired by forests, wood, warm textures and more intimate, welcoming spaces.
But the idea goes beyond displaying Christmas décor.
For I’M CHRISTMAS, Christmas is something to experience, touch and feel.
The showroom therefore incorporates interactive environments that allow visitors to step inside the concepts themselves.
Photographer Valerie Abe Camil is once again joining the project, offering photo sessions within selected sets.
“The moment you walk in, it feels like entering another world,” she said. “Having a photo session here means being photographed inside a truly dreamlike set.”
Christmas With a Purpose
This year’s experience will also have a philanthropic dimension.
I’M CHRISTMAS is preparing a benefit event for Make-A-Wish México, the organization dedicated to granting wishes to children with critical illnesses.
Gabriela Cuéllar recently joined the organization’s board of directors and plans to develop new initiatives through the company.
“As an entrepreneur, I believe it is very important to be grateful and to give something back to society for all the blessings and everything we have been able to enjoy and create,” she said.
The company has previously supported organizations and initiatives including Unidos contra la Trata, Teletón and Niños en Alegría.
The Next Expansion Is Digital
One of the company’s most significant upcoming developments is the launch of its e-commerce platform.
Until now, a substantial share of its residential business has come through referrals, Instagram and other digital channels.
The new online store will make the I’M CHRISTMAS universe accessible to a much broader audience.
Customers will no longer need to commission an entire home installation or purchase a monumental Christmas tree. The platform will offer everything from nutcrackers and complete sets to ornaments, lighting and individual pieces designed by I’M CHRISTMAS.
The project, which also involves one of Gabriela Cuéllar’s daughters, opens a new chapter for a company historically accustomed to working on a grand scale.
Creating Happiness
Behind the monumental trees, lights and elaborate installations lies an idea Cuéllar returns to again and again: décor can completely transform the way people experience the season.
The company receives messages from clients describing how I’M CHRISTMAS installations changed the atmosphere in their homes and the way their families experienced the holidays.
For the firm, that is the real product.
Nearly 27 years after entering what was still an emerging market in Mexico, I’M CHRISTMAS has developed a creative vision with an increasingly international reach.
It is a story in which design, craftsmanship, spectacle and emotion come together to create something that, for at least a few weeks each year, remains difficult to quantify: the magic of Christmas.
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Statement – Alan González S. ©
