MEET OUR ARTISAN PARTNERS

Meet the incredible artisans who have put their love and dedication to make a unique piece for you!

A little bit about our artisans...

The word 'artisan' in Colombia represents highly skilled craftspeople who have learnt their skills and techniques from their own family at their own home. 

Most artisans have had little education and besides this, they run their own handmade traditional businesses which is the main income to support their families. 

It's very important for Casa Bonita

* To respect their traditional business model

* Encourage creativity through our exclusive in-store one-of-a-kind collection 

* Preserve their traditional techniques and pass on to future generations by training them on how to export themselves and sharing our alliances and supply chain

We aim to connect you with each artisan, their culture, their traditions, their family and their dreams! 

Las Juanitas from Sandoná, Nariño - South of Colombia

Las Juanitas are a group of 204 female artisans, mainly mums, single mums, farm workers, indigenous and displaced women (due to violence in their hometowns).

Weaving is the main source of income for many women in the region and fits well with the juggle of raising a family. Every weekend, they travel from their homes to meet at a workshop in Sandoná, where they practice designs and organise their materials. Then during the week after finishing working at the farms, putting the kids to bed or before the kids wake up, they’ll work on their delicately handwoven pieces.

Our talented artisan partners convert the native Iraca palm from the Andes into thin threads. The finest threads are used exclusively for the Panama hats. Slightly thicker threads are used for borsalino hats and the incredible designs of accessories and homewares.

More than 2300 artisan families derive their livelihood from this technique in Sandoná, and your purchase provides financial security and many hours of work in an activity that encourages creativity and a sense of achievement.

You’re also helping to preserve indigenous ancestral techniques that these women can proudly pass on to their children.

Products: Baskets, fans, earrings, dolls, ornaments/bunting
Authentic Super Fino Panama hats  & Handwoven baskets - Foldable and flexible Borsalino hats, accessories and homewares - Colourful, extra light and incredible designs

Material: Iraca palm (Carludovica palmata) and vegetable dyes.

    

 

Sandra Aguilar from Riohacha, La Guajira, Colombia

Sandra and her sisters weave colourful accessories incorporating symbols and patterns inspired by nature and representing the mythical spider who taught the Wayuu to weave. Their daily activities are run around the traditional family business, using skills passed on by generations. 

Sandra is also a very active leader in the Ishipaa community, leading projects such as a veggie garden and bringing drinking water to her remote village, Riohacha in La Guajira, the largest dry area in Colombia. 

We believe work gives a sense of achievement and empowers communities. Your purchases support Sandra’s family to make a decent living while preserving indigenous ancestral techniques. 

 

Products: crossbody bags, crochet bags, hand-loomed straps, clutches, macrame straps, messenger bags, backpacks.

Materials: Yarn

Blanca and Roland Rincon from Curití, Santander, Colombia

Blanca and Rolando are well known for the premium product they create and the bright colours that only they could put together! Running their traditional business around caring for their two kids, they employ five locals to help with the fique preparation, dying and weaving.

Fique is derived from the native agave cactus This unique material is completely sustainable as the base of the plant lives for over 20 years and is left untouched in order to avoid deforestation. Using a craft dating back a thousand years to the Guane tribes, the fibres are combed, dyed with naturally extracted colours and then weaved into a coarse cloth, before the rugs are handwoven on a traditional loom.

From the agave selection to the finished product, each rug creates one day worth of work for their business. Your purchase provides financial security to these families, helps to preserve this ancestral technique for passing on to the next generation, and is environmentally friendly.

Product: Rugs, bags
Material: Fique fibres pulled from agave type cactuses, vegetable dyes

Rosa Queragama from Risaralda, Colombia

Sadly, Colombia has the second largest population of internally displaced persons in the world. Rosa’s family were forced to leave their home due to conflict and violence, and now live in Bogota.

This unique beadwork jewellery is still worn throughout Columbia as part of traditional dress. The beautiful designs and colours reflect nature and cultural beliefs. Bracelets are worn by children to protect them from bad spirits. 

It’s easy to see the many hours of work that Rosa puts into her jewellery. Your purchase brings her family financial security and the joy of creating something she loves, whilst ensuring that these indigenous ancestral techniques and traditions are preserved and passed on to the next generation.

Products: Earrings, necklaces

Maria Stella Penaloza Mora from Los Patios, Norte de Santander, Colombia

Stellita makes toys to help kids connect with the Colombian culture. Her Wayunquerra dolls with their distinctive face paintings; iconic Palenquera fruit seller dolls; and South American animal bunting are totally unique! 

The interactive dolls have removable clothes, little crochet bags and even earrings! Kids can learn about diversity through play and those with thick hair and dark skin can find identity with these beautiful dolls.

Stellita hand stitches the toys using fabric scraps from industrial manufacturing, making these products environmentally friendly and sustainable. Your purchase promotes the preservation of indigenous and ancestral traditions and culture, whilst providing financial security to Maria in doing work that she clearly loves.

Products: Waynquerra dolls, Palenquera fruit seller dolls, animal bunting and facemasks. 

Material: fabric scraps

Native fique from Boyaca, Colombia

Guacamayas, the impressive & colourful handwoven home accents. 

Material: Fique fibres pulled from agave type cactuses, vegetable dyes

This region was home to the Laches indigenous people, whose legacy decidedly marks the local identity. Women of this community combine agriculture and cattle herding with colourful and diverse basket weaving. This ancestral art form employs the spiral technique, the use of fique, vegetable dyes and mordents like salt, aloe, plantain carpels, orange and lemon.

YOUR impact: support one of the artisan families who derive their livelihood from this technique.

 

Wayuu Kanaas patterns and the weaving technique taught by the Spider. Guajira, Colombia

 

 

Material: thread, yarn and mawisa

According to the legend, the Spider Wale’keru (WALE’KERÜ )taught the Wayuu women their trade. Since then, women have learn the weaving techniques and developed Kanaas, their traditional designs

The northern peninsula of La Guajira, surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, is the ancestral home of the Wayúu indigenous people. The Kanaas or patterns woven into the mochilas represent the physical world and cosmology of the Wayuu people. Artisans of the Wayuu tribe weave their hats with natural, organic straw-like fibres (similar to bamboo) they call Mawisa. Wayuu Hats is an important accessory and also a cultural symbol.

YOUR impact: support one of the 450 artisan families who derive their livelihood from this technique.

The community of Los Pastos. Cumbal – Nariño, Colombia

Warm and earthy colours woven in the highest Andes. The traditional weaving loom 'guanga' for the warmest ponchos. Material: sheep wool and acrylic yarn

This indigenous ethnic group, work with the Guanga , the traditional loom which seeks, through its artisan craft, replicate a tradition directly linked with its symbolism reflected in nature comprising mountainous areas, green fields, rivers and lakes. Accessories and clothing are only a way to manifest their history, experiences and thoughts of their culture and their land, the Pachamama.

The group is involved in the whole process from shearing sheep, spinning and twisting wool, washing and decide if the raw material is raw or dyed with natural dyes.

There is an unbreakable bond between the territory, the environment and its inhabitants.

YOUR impact: support one of the artisan families who derive their livelihood from this technique.