Yolanda and Irma

Handlooms cotton Handbags and Hammocks

The first time I met Yolanda I asked her if she was in any way related to the Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez and her reply was “Maybe. You know these families are big all over the coast.” She certainly looks like him. Yolanda is a native of Sucre Department in North Colombia near the Caribbean coast. She is a master weaver of hand looms. These days she more supervises and guides with her experience her colleagues's work. Her hometown is renowned for its excellent and high quality weaving work. This comes from Indigenous heritage from the Caribes, civilisation group who lived in the North of Colombia. They belonged to the Caribbean linguistic family. Morroa is called the “the cultural loom of the savannahs of eastern Colombia”. Yolanda supplies us with superb hammocks and handbags from the same dense cotton fabrics. The hammocks are considered Morroa ́s traditional identity. Koguis is very proud to sponsor Yolanda's work ,and the weavers, who are all women, for them to have the chance to survive from their work.

Maria Patricia

 Leather and hand loom fabric Handbags

She is an artisan of the region of Pereira capital of Quindío Department in the coffee region in Colombia. She has been a weaver for more than 20 years. Her creations are the result of her studies at the University of Antioquia and her personal experience with different weavers of different regions throughout Colombia. She has learned ancestral techniques by instructing herself through published works on weaving and her constant visits to the communities who work with different weaving techniques. The major features in her products are top materials and the creative way they are mixed with the art of the hand looms work. The connexion of Maria with Koguis allows her to keep developing and creating handicrafts. Also it is a business run just by women.

Wayuu indigenous of the Guajira Peninsula

Hand knitted Mochilas (casual handbags), Belts and Accessories

Wayúu families are organised into clans and unlike most societies, the Wayúu family is matrilineal. That is the Wayúu children bear their mother’s last name.
For the Wayúu people, knowing how to weave is a symbol of creativity, intelligence and wisdom. It is a practice passed on from one generation to the next. Guajira women learn how to make bags (called Susu in the Wayunaiki language) during puberty. This time is called “Blanqueo”(whitening period) by the Wayúu. During this time, Wayúu women can only be around their female relatives who teach them all the duties and social behaviour that a Wayúu woman must possess.

For the most part, the designs are patterns of geometrical shapes. Each bag is made by one woman; therefore each design is one of a kind. Weaving these bags is an arduous work. It takes a Guajira woman about 20 eight-hour-days to complete just one bag. Their mythology tells how Waleker (“Spider” in Wayunaiki the Wayuu language) taught the women how to weave in a remarkable tale (see link Wayúu).Koguis is very focused in helping a group of Indigenous Wayúu who now live as refugees in Bogota because the hostile situation in their home place in Guajira. Their beautiful handcraft is the only way to survive and keep their identity as Indigenous people otherwise they have to work in whichever work is given to them. Buying them is a small help and a step in the right direction.

Guerlys Padilla, Zenuú Indigenous

Canaflecha Handbags, purses and accessories.

Guerlys is an amazing artisan and musician. By all means a true artist. Despite that, when we met him for first time in Tuchin, Department of Cordoba in North Colombia he was surrounded by striking poverty and not much hopes. Young and talented Indigenous Zenu, father of 3 kids and living at his parents little house. His handbags and accessories are ones of a kind. High and fine quality weaving, circular and oval shaped, and gracious mixture of earthy colours. He depends on his handicrafts, hand work to survive, otherwise he has to work in agriculture and whatever is handy to get his daily bread. His connexion with Koguis make us very happy to have an artisan like him. We hope to grow enough to keep him busy for him to achieve a better quality of life.

Wounan-Embera' Indigenous

Colombian's Indigenous Entrepreneurs, Bajo Baudo, Choco
Werregue vases and plates.

This Association of Embera-Wounan artisans of Colombia was created in 2008. It has a business model created uniquely for the Chocó Indigenous Artisans, providing them with the opportunity to sell their products under an organised business structure and sustainable framework. They work with Indigenous leaders towards the improvement of the quality of life in their communities. Their goal is to fully empower the artisans so they can sustain themselves through the production of their arts and crafts, wheat and organic products as turmeric. They respect Fair trade standards and value the use of social, economic and environmental criteria for both the entrepreneurs and their communities who are being trained by experienced consultants. As a result of this amazing work the artisans have the opportunity to transform their unique talent into a sustainable business practices that have begun to transform their quality of life. Werregue handicrafts have been widely accepted in national and international markets by virtue of their beauty, elegance, ingenuity and positive impact that each product makes in the life of an indigenous artisans.

Julian Perez

Tagua nut, Eco-Bijouterie dry flowers-insects.

Julian is a very talented and high skilled jeweller.His work is beautiful yet creative looking after every finish and detail. He works on bamboo carved rings with natural dissected flowers and insects.Or works clever little wooden necklace and earrings set up with lithography of masterpieces from famous artists like Van Gogh,Picasso or Botticelli within others or little jokes too.He does stained glass work and tag nut from South America.Yet with all his talent his day by day isn't easy selling his pieces through a flee Market every Sunday in Bogota,Colombia his hometown.His connexion with Koguis allows him to wholesales his work which represents for him more of a regular income than the market.