The founder and the Maestro Artesano
We are a small non-profit label from Berlin with their heart in the right place.
Values such as sustainability, social responsibility and honest handcraft are the cornerstones of our design process.
As I discovered the net bag of the Maya people several years ago while visiting a museum for ethnography, I was immediately fascinated by its delicate appearance. This net made of plant fibres, with its cool, dry, fibrous feel and its smoky smell, was able to stretch to almost twice its width, easily sprung back to its original size, was highly robust and thus could carry heavy loads. On the upper edge of the net, two simple loops were integrated, to which a simple leather strap was fastened. Thanks to an ethnologist friend of mine, I learnt that the net bag originated from the highlands of Mexico, where it, worn across the forehead, filled up with maize or firewood, serves as a means of transport. In their official language Tzotzil, the Maya call it “Nu’tí” or in the other widely spoken dialect Tzeltal, it is called “Cho’jac” [d̠͡ʑoˈχʔac]. The delicate creations are made out of fibres from the leaves of the Agave Cactus in a process taking weeks of manual work. The ancient technique has been passed from generation to generation in this manner for thousands of years. The gradual disappearance of this craft motivated me to initiate this project, and to organise a cooperation with the Maya-Tzotzil. Slow Design and Fair Trade – hardcore handwork in its purest form.
The biggest thanks goes to
Camera:
Styling:
… and our highly estimated partners and friends
The CULTURAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS INITIATIVE® is a worldwide movement supporting the recognition of cultural intellectual property rights® for craftsmen and women
NGO impacto is instrumental in reducing poverty, income inequalities, and the gap of human welfare for people living in Chiapas, Mexico.
In this safe environment, our inner bags are carefully manufactured and sewn in a workshop for people with disabilities
School of Languages and Culture with the mission is to provide you with the highest education in Spanish as a Second Language and Mexican Culture.
The independent consultancy studio devoted to support intangible cultural heritage through design and contribute to the preservation of invaluable cultural traditions.
The up-cycling design label from fair production utilizes textile waste while preserving traditional crafts
Die Weberei is an artist studio for textile design, development and production in the field of woven jacquard fabrics and printed fabrics.
Dipdii Textiles – crafted out of local textile traditions – are designed for a decentralized production in the villages of Bangladesh where in general the quality of life and space is both humane and free.