Sharing Our Story

So a big part of our story is the people behind that make our products. And I think it is so important to share this with people in-store because it really helps people feel a deeper emotional connection to their clothing. And when people understand who is making a piece, the story behind it, the care behind it, the people behind it, and the intention behind it, they tend to value it more, keep it longer, and wear it for many years. Really, that in itself is such a powerful form of sustainability and connection through storytelling.

La Sierra works exclusively with indigenous artisans from Peru and a couple in Ecuador. And we work with, depending on the season, around 12 different families and two different communities. And really being able to connect with our makers has been one of the greatest experiences of my life and the biggest, deepest cultural immersion. 

And I visited them in their workshops, we've created together, eaten together, and sometimes done day trips when our work schedule allows. And, many of them, just feel like a very familiar family connection now, and we just deeply value the people that we work with, and we appreciate their craft.

We really try to be a big part of helping them retain the skills that have been handed down through the generations. And these are traditional techniques like hand knitting, weaving, hand looming, and so beautiful. Each maker has stories of learning their craft from their parents or grandparents. And it's just been so nice to hear them share how meaningful their craft is to them.

For example, we have a man, Lucas, who works on hand looms that are over 100 years old, using techniques he learnt from his grandpa. And he remembers the sounds of the looms constantly in the background of his living room. 

We also have Magdina, who's in charge of our hand-knitting community, Suriandino. And that group meets every week and in their shared workshop space where Magdina divides up the wall and lets everyone know what they need to make, and then they sit there, and they knit together, and they catch up, and they chat, and they share, and they compare skills, and it's just such a nice feeling.

But each of these makers has a very real concern that their craft is slowly dying out because the world puts more value on mass production and cheap quality, which we know is polluting our planet over longevity and timeless production and generational skills.

Through this work, we're really helping our makers stay in their craft. Our collaboration is really helping them stay out of farm work and support their families, and through the craft, which is vital to a part of their identity and is under threat of being lost due to colonisation and mass production. By supporting these artisans, we're helping keep these traditional skills alive.

And we believe, I believe, that each piece artisans create is not only a work of art, but also a vessel that carries their history and their stories into the future. And it's just a true honour to work with them and to support their mission and really protect and celebrate their cultural heritage by blending their craft with our minimal and our timeless designs.