rebozo

Woven by hand on a backstrap loom, this generous cotton shawl combines wide bands of pewter grey and burnt sienna on pristine ivory cotton. Lorenza Perez is a master of this ancestral Maya weaving technique, and a rebozo like this one can take anywhere from 28 to 40 hours to complete. Textured geometric borders at each end are embroidered by hand, and the fabric alternates woven areas with unwoven warp threads, to achieve a textile that drapes beautifully.

This lovely cotton shawl features narrow white stripes on midnight black cotton. Woven by hand on a backstrap loom, it evokes the mountain paths in Mexico's Chiapas highlands. Lorenza Perez is a master of this ancestral Maya weaving technique, and a rebozo like this one can take anywhere from 28 to 40 hours to complete. Textured geometric borders at each end are embroidered by hand, and the fabric alternates woven areas with unwoven warp threads, to achieve a textile that drapes beautifully.

Working on the handloom, Carmen Ruiz weaves an extraordinary Zapotec shawl. Intricate motifs in orange, red and pink alternate with shades of blue on an expanse of midnight black. A voluptuous hand tied macramé fringe completes this lovely cotton wrap, which takes its colors from natural dyes.

Woven by hand on a traditional loom, this colorful rebozo shawl reveals ancestral Zapotec textile arts. Angela Quiñones works in black cotton, creating concentric diamond motifs on pink. With its long macramé fringe, the wrap is lightweight and cozy.

Mastering Zapotec weaving techniques, Carmen Ruiz creates a shawl of exceptional elegance. She uses the thorn of the huizache plant to obtain the rich black hue, which contrasts nicely with the iridescent pink patterns at the ends of the shawl.