Hand-knitted alpaca afghans
BOLIVIAN ARTISANS
Our afghan blankets are made by a a group of Aymara indigenous men and women from Bolivia. They leave their native homes in the rural country to travel to the city of El Alto to work for a living. They can get better income in the city, but working and living conditions are unimaginable to us as Americans. Working as artisans, allows them to remain in their native towns and earn a fair income to support their families and allows them to keep their ancient traditions and crafts alive.
Bolivian artisans are very skillful with their hands and are able to make beautiful things. Their challenge, however, is for them to be able to make things that markets will not only like, but also buy. It was such a pleasure to collaborate with them on the Amenity afghan. Their craftsmanship is breathtaking and the end result is a hand knitted baby blanket that will bring lots of joy and beauty to many new families.
Handmade macramé pillows
PERUVIAN ARTISANS
Peru is known for its fine craftsmanship and awe-inspiring color palettes. On a recent trip there, we were honored to partner with a Peruvian organization who helped guide us in product development with a group of artisans from San Juan de Lurigancho and Sisi Wasi. Our participation with this group gives these artisans the opportunity to earn a fair wage and live beyond the limitations of poverty.
We found that our dedication to sustainable design was in common, which shows that all over the world people are coming together to develop and contribute to environmentally and socially responsible forms of manufacturing.
Hand-woven wool tableaccessories
CHILEAN ARTISANS
The Mapuche weavers we work with are from the mountains surrounding Santiago in Chile. The preservation of their indigineous weaving techniques is being eroded by their need to work in cities to support their families and the pay is not enough to support their families. Our participation in their program helps provide these women with a fair, stable income that allows them to raise their children and gives them the skills to manage their own production and business.
The sheep are raised and sheered in their local community and the dyes come from local soil and vegetation. They use traditional homemade wooden looms to weave their products. The end result is something so beautifully close to nature and so breathakingly pure and simple, you will be in as much of awe as we are. We believe that we can learn from the past and appreciate old ways of doing things. This collaboration is the perfect expample of an everyday object that you use that can be in complete harmony with humanity and nature. We couldn’t be more thrilled.
Handcrafted Arroyo collection
LOCAL ARTISANS
Martin, our local artisan woodworker, is amazing and really understands that something so simple like all the pieces in our Arroyo collection needs to be beautifully crafted. Made in Los Angeles, each piece he works on is created with care from solid FSC-certified walnut. We believe in meaningful accessories that add beauty and function to your life, which you will continue to use and enjoy for many years to come.
FSC certification ensures that forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable way. In many forests around the world, logging still contributes to habitat deconstruction, water pollution and displacement of indigenous peoples. It’s our social responsibility to become good stewards to our forests and to use these resources wisely.