About
The mission...
Hands of Colombia aims to accomplish three goals:
- To connect our customers with Colombia's skilled indigenous artisans.
- To empower our customers to empower Wayuu Artisans through our Thread Giving Program.
- To share the Story behind the Style.
The story...
Hands of Colombia was started by an American living in Bogotá, Colombia. After living in Colombia for several months, our founder, Warren, noticed the unique and eye-capturing designs of a certain type of bag lots of Colombians were using.
Soon, Warren began discovering the Story behind these bags: bags made by an indigenous group of people led entirely by women whose tradition of weaving spans across centuries and generations.
After bringing several Wayuu products back to the US to share with friends and family, our founder sought out to learn more about these woven products, and the people who made them.
But what we found wasn't all pretty: despite an artistic tradition that was rooted in indigenous culture, we found that not all merchants were respectful with the artisans whose products they were commercializing, nor were their payments honoring the dedication and talent represented by the Wayuu's woven crafts.
That discovery is what created Hands of Colombia - an effort to connect customers directly to the people who made their bags, to have a personalized and respectful supply-chain, and to give customers the power to empower artisans.
After several trips from the capital city, Bogotá, to the region where the Wayuu live and create, we had finally found what Hands of Colombia was looking for: groups of talented artisans and indigenous communities interested in working with us, to share the Story behind the Style, and to skip all middle-men ensuring quality products and a respectful, ethical and fair supply-chain.
Our work...
We're here for the people who want to slow down - for those who are tired of the unoriginality and depersonalization involved in mass-production. We're here for those who seek something truly unique, who seek not just an item, but a story. We're here for those who wish not just to shop, but to be part of an indigenous tradition.
