It's Scarf Season ❄️ Introducing the makers 💙
The recent chill in the air has us reaching for our favourite scarf every day to brave the cold.
In celebration of scarf season, we want to share the faces of the beautiful makers of our much-loved Classic and Blanket Scarves.
Meet Don Luis ~ the creator of our very loved Classic Scarves (and throws).
Our local associate Renè and I were unhappy with our first supplier and were on the lookout to meet someone new. We stumbled across this lovely man in a busy marketplace in the North of Ecuador. In a market full of hundreds of people, we saw this man with a beautiful smile and peaceful energy and made our way over to say hi to him. He took us to his home for our first meeting and it was here we started showing him pictures of the products that we wanted to create with him. Surprisingly, he already knew the products because it turned out he had been the one making them the whole time! We had not known we had been dealing with someone who was just a middle-man. We thought this was quite a magical experience and laughed about the chances of meeting our current maker in a marketplace full of so many people. It felt like a very meant-to-be moment and from that time on we have had a direct relationship with this humble and honest man.
Sophie and Rene with Don Luis and his team, outside his home workshop.
Taking the team out for lunch during a long work day.
Rene and Don Luis discussing the colours of the new season.
Don Luis and his beautiful wife Elvira.
Meet Hugo ~ the creator of our very loved Blanket Scarves.
Renè and I met Hugo on our second sourcing trip to Peru. We were trying to find trustworthy people who produced high quality textiles, and this was sometimes challenging. We ended up approaching one of the main fibre production companies and getting some contacts of the people who purchased Baby Alpaca Wool. It was through this contact that we found Hugo and Sebastian who own and run their family business called Illary.
I remember taking a taxi to their house for the first time. We arrived in a very tiny, confusing street and struggled to find their house … I thought we must be in the wrong place. We eventually found our way to the front door and were greeted by a smiling Hugo. He showed us into his home and gave us a cup of hot cinnamon tea. At the front of the house, they had set up a showroom, displaying a selection of their beautiful products. I remember getting so absorbed in this room, touching everything and feeling the incredible quality of each thing they produced.
Sophie's first introduction to the Blanket scarf
Hugo and his family are amazing, highly-skilled weavers. His son Sebastian has been learning all about running the business and is gradually taking over from his parents.
Based in Arequipa in Southern Peru, they work mostly with the finest quality Baby Alpaca fibre and they are the makers of our beautiful Blanket Scarf.
Viewpoint near Hugo's house
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We love sharing the faces of our makers and connecting you to where your products originate from. We do this in the hope that it adds value and a connection to your products and that you continue to treasure your La Sierra items for many seasons to come.