Meet our Artisans
“Let’s Keep Our Traditions Alive”
Pantelho, Chiapas
Marifer is a talented artisan from Pantelho who, at a young age, mastered the backstrap loom technique under the guidance of her mother-in-law. She enjoys experimenting with new designs and color combinations and shares her expertise with the 11 other women who collaborate with her to create our wonderful pieces.
Weaving is a therapeutic experience for Marifer, as it allows her to connect with the loom and forget everything else while imagining how her pieces will look on each person who wears them. This is how she creates her unique color combinations.
In her free time, Marifer loves to spend time with her two young boys. She also helps her husband and mother-in-law in harvesting and roasting the coffee beans. She is truly an admirable woman.
San Juan Cancuc, Chiapas
Juana comes from a family with a long tradition of weaving. Learning from her grandmother, she started using the loom when she was 12 years old. At the age of 16, she was already using the technique of natural dyes, and teaching other young girls to use it.
Since 2011, Juana has collaborated with a group of 35 artisan weavers from her community. One of the things that motivates them the most is knowing that their pieces and traditions are being promoted in Mexico and abroad.
They enjoy creating new designs and seeing the result of cutting the warp threads. Weaving is a true passion for them, and when they are at their loom, they feel exactly where they are meant to be.
Carranza, Chiapas
Sari comes from a family with four generations of weavers. She learned the art from her grandmother and has been weaving for 20 years. Along with 12 other family members, she creates extraordinary pieces.
Their creativity shows spontaneity in the attractive embroidery combinations, which is why their textiles are appreciated as works of art. Their designs feature symbols such as diamonds, stars, lightning, zigzag lines, corn plants, and flowers that represent their community.
Weaving together is a moment of cheeriness for them. They enjoy sharing ideas and imagining symbols together. This work helps them contribute to their families’ economy and continue promoting their family traditions.
Yochib, Chiapas
Teresa belongs to a group of 25 women weavers. Along with her sister Ana, she has been involved in the loom process all her life. They learned this technique from their grandmother, who passed on the teachings to their mother, and now they teach their daughters.
Teresa has a passion for textile design and enjoys creating unique pieces by intertwining the traditional with the contemporary. She incorporates symbols that have been used for generations, giving each piece an artisan touch.
In addition to being a weaver, Teresa is a teacher who enjoys doing social service in her community. She teaches children to speak Spanish and serves as our Tzotzil-Spanish translator with the women artisans.
Zinacantan, Chiapas
Doña Mary is the head of a group of 18 artisan women. She has over 40 years of experience in weaving and is a master artisan who has taught her daughters, daughters-in-law, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters the legacy of the loom, passing down the tradition for generations to come.
What they most enjoy about weaving is the time they can spend together as a family. Working from home allows them to work at their own pace and in a way that fits their responsibilities at home.
Doña Mary enjoys cooking traditional food, and her way of relaxing is weaving under the shade of a tree while listening to the birds sing and the sound of the wind.
Zapopan, Jalisco
Lili weave all our macrame bags. Her love for crafts and handmade items led her to learn this technique years ago, which she now enjoys and practices at home.
Weaving is therapy for Lili, a way for her to disconnect for a moment and connect with something she’s passionate about. She enjoys taking this time for herself to create and innovate new designs, shapes, and colors while relaxing and listening to her favorite music.
Lili believes that family is the most important thing and loves to spend her free time with her family. She is a happy woman and her joy shines through in every bag she creates.
San Juan Colorado, Oaxaca
Yuridia is part of the second generation of weavers in her family. Her mother leads a group of 18 women artisans in San Juan Colorado, who collaborate with another group of women in Santo Tomás Jalieza who make the natural dyeing of our huipils and belts.
They express their identity and culture through their weaving and color combinations and add a final touch with brocades inspired by animals, plants, and their surroundings.
They aim to preserve their traditions and heritage through their fabrics, embodying their history and personality in each of their huipils. These pieces are part of their cultural heritage and deserve credit for their hard work and effort.
Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero
With over 60 years of weaving experience, Doña Flor began weaving at the age of 6. She, along with her sisters, learned the loom technique from her grandmother and grandaunts, who have been making these wonderful pieces for three generations.
Doña Flor is a promoter and defender of the rights of artisan women. She is part of a group of 27 weavers who seek to rescue and preserve their ancestral techniques. Her goal is for people to recognize the work of their community not only as a piece of clothing but as an art.
She believes that artisanal work should be respected, promote fair trade, and maintain ethical work practices among her fellow artisans.
Becal, Campeche
Rosa and her husband Carmelo have been working with jipijapa palms for over 40 years. Their expertise in weaving hats, bags, and fans has positioned them as one of the most recognized artisans in their community.
They are part of a group of weavers, along with 15 members of their family, who do the entire artisan process from cutting, brushing, dyeing the palm with natural dyes that come from plants and insects to continue with the design process.
Their precision in weaving and attention to detail make each piece unique, giving personality to whoever wears it.
Rosa and Carmelo enjoy walking through the town, enjoying cooking traditional food and playing the guitar while spending time with their children and grandchildren.
** All the photos and texts were provided and authorized by our artisans so that you know who is behind each piece.
