handmade textiles

Cozy cocoa and cream tones add spice to cool evenings in an acrylic and alpaca blend throw from Jorge Priori. Finished with fringe, the attractive textile showcases modern Andean style. Renowned for its thermal qualities, alpaca is lightweight yet it possesses an incredible capacity for heat retention.

Wilmer Vilchez selects a palette of warm hues for the design of this shawl. Including brown, yellow, and black, Vilchez works in warm baby alpaca wool (season's first shear) to create a beautiful shawl on a traditional handloom.

Made entirely by hand, this beautiful contemporary bag showcases the ancestral weaving traditions preserved by the women artisans of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco. The compact purse exemplifies the incredible time and dedication it takes to produce a handmade work of art. In the highlands they call home, before they can begin to weave the fabric for the bag, the women must first raise and shear the alpacas and llamas to obtain the wool, then dye and spin the fleece before it is ready to be woven into fabric on a traditional backstrap loom. From start to finish, the time taken to produce each bag spans the seasons. The fully-lined bag closes with a zipper and features an interior zipper pocket.

With traditional motifs that echo the shapes of the Andes mountains, this 100% alpaca shoulder bag is a standout. The artisans of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco craft it entirely from scratch--raising the alpacas and llamas to obtain the fleece; shearing, dyeing and spinning the wool; and weaving the textile on a traditional waist loom. The fully-lined bag closes with a zipper and features an interior zipper pocket.

A fabulous brown and beige scarf is woven on traditional looms to create the distinctive twill pattern of diagonal parallel ribs. Peru's Maritza Pacori combines stripes, fringe and textures in a beautiful fashion accessory handmade from soft baby alpaca yarns.

Plum and white hues unite to let you move to the rhythm of a chic tune. Peru’s Ulloa Family showcases the region’s textile artistry in this soft alpaca scarf, combining chevron and striped patterns. Accented with the fringes, the center lines crown the piece with a palette of goldenrod, ginger, green and crimson colors.

Woven by hand, subtle shades of brown, black and ivory conjure the quiet desert. This generous and elegant shawl by Wilmer Vilchez comes to life in luxurious alpaca wool.