Fique: The Sustainable Colombian Fiber
Fique Weaving Workshop
Zuahaza’s New Home Goods collection launched this past month, partnering with new artisan groups to bring to life fique fiber rugs and baskets. These products are our very first items that are not made of organic cotton but are made from another fiber which has been proved to be an incredibly sustainable option. Fique is a plant from the family of FURCRAEA. This family of plants is similar to the Agave plant in its appearance. The fique plant has been historically grown mostly to make fique fiber that was then woven into rough sacs to store and carry coffee and cocoa. With time these fique sacs have sadly been replaced by plastic ones and fique weavers having to find alternatives of products to make with fique. Fique plants grow in various departments of the Andean departments of Antioquia, Boyacá, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Nariño and Santander in Colombia. Fique has been proved to grow well in Brazil and Venezuela, but Colombia remains the largest importer of fique fiber in the world.
Historically, fique has been regarded as an industrial fiber for common uses. It’s rough and strong qualities make it a perfect fiber to transport food which is what it has been used for the most. Today, artisan communities who have been processing the plant and weaving it for generations have seen a new contemporary use for this fiber: craft. As a social enterprise looking to partner with communities of Colombian artisans, we are so excited to offer for the first time fique products such as our Curiti Fique Rugs and Guacamayas Baskets not only because we believe in preserving the tradition of fique weaving but because we are proud to use a local, organic and sustainable fiber such as fique.
Is fique a sustainable fiber?
a water saving fiber: REQUIRES LITTLE WATER TO GROW
One of the main issues with growing natural fibers is: water consumption. We live at a time that saving water is becoming more and more crucial than ever, and our current textile manufacturing processes continue to waste absurdly huge amounts of water. Organic cotton for example, is a great alternative to conventional cotton using 88% less water. if you have not read our article on why organic cotton is a great sustainable option to switch to, we invite you to give it a read here. Fique is a plant that saves large amounts of water because it stores water inside their large leaves. Fique plants can endure harsh dry seasons with little water needed, making it a fiber that naturally saves water.
A chemical-free fiber: IT DOES NOT NEED PESTICIDES TO GROW
Another big problem of most fibers is that growing it organically requires a ton of work to avoid the plant being attacked by disease and pests. This is one of the main reasons why growing organically is harder and requires expertise to care for the plants without using harsh chemicals to protect the plants from common pests. Fique on the other hand, similarly to hemp, is hardly attacked by pests. There are no common pests that attack these plants and the few pests that do attack them cannot be treated with chemical pesticides. This means fique is grown organically.
Fique Plant Garden at Barichara
un-dyed fique yarn after being processed.
Fique as a crop substitution option
sustainability in its context: potential for local economies and crop substitution
Sustainability is not just about finding that “perfect” fiber. There are many sustianable fibers that exist al around the world but are foreign to multiple contexts, making it a complex desicion when you are importing certain fibers into communities that would not normally be working with those materials. For us, sustainability is about context. Is about thinking of the people, the soils and the environment that make a fiber a better alternative or not. One of our main goals as a business is to always challenge our understanding of what is sustainable. How can we become more accountable and learn new ways in which we can walk out sustainability in our own context? One of the main problems we currently have is the struggle to make organic cotton a viable fiber that can be locally grown in enough quantities. Although, we are working with local organic cotton communities, the supply is still not ideal and we have to import a big % of our organic cotton from our neighboring country of Peru. We aspire to continue to work hard with other Colombian organizations and brands to support the local organic cotton supply to the point of not needing to import from other countries.
When we learned about the properties of fique fiber, it responded to that growing need of using local natuve materials and were part of our cultural traditions. Fique has the potential of becoming a widely grown fiber across the country, providing new opportunities for crop substitution for farmers. Crop substitution in our Colombian political context refers to incentivizing farming communities to switch from growing illicit crops such as coca, to growing more sustainable legal options such as coffee, cacao, cotton and fique. Fique is one of those crops that has the potential of providing safer jobs for farmers who have been victims of violence from illicit crops.
The rich cultural tradition of fique weaving in Curití, Santander
Main Plaza of Curití, Santander, Colombia.
Our fique rugs are woven in one of the most traditionally well-known towns for fique weaving. Locates 30 minutes from the busy city of San Gil, Curití is a colonial historical town where a great percentage of their residents are fique weavers and work from home on their vertical-looms.
Curití was part of the Guane people territory. The name Curití comes from the word quiti which means weaving loom or place of weaving looms. Many colonial texts from spanish colonizers describe the Guane people as skilled craftsmen in textile weaving with cotton and fique. The Guane people were actually some of the most important communities from that time who mastered the craft of making cloth with cotton and fique which they all grew locally. Sadly, with the catastrophes that came with colonization was the abuse and destruction of the Guane culture at that time, leaving behind weaving traditions that we still see today in the town of Curití.
When you walk the streets of Curití, you can’t help but wonder how this place kept it’s integrity and traditions after centuries of war and conflict. More recently with the political violence that Colombia experienced, the people of Curití are truly a testament to a culture’s passion and desire to fight over what is theirs to claim. Today, Curití is a town known for it’s fique weaving traditions. Known for excelling at making exquisite fique rugs and making a living from their ancestral traditions.
The Fique Weaver Workshop
Zuahaza visited a family’s workshop this year after having the opportunity to work on the first line of fique rugs for Zuahaza’s new Tyba Collection. We had the incredible privilege of seeing how these magnificent rugs are made from home with self-constructed looms that can reach 2 meters height and 6 to 8 meters in lenght!
These looms are custom made to fit the needs of their commissions. Artisans have standard 2 meter wide looms but new customers are ordering rugs for larger spaces. They have made a vertical loom that reaches 8 meters wide.
Showcasing loom with new braiding technique in multiple angles.
Close-up of new weaving experimentation
Zuahaza’s New Line of Fique Rugs
Artisans have started to partner with contemporary Colombian designers and fine artists to make new patterns, new weaves and experiment with their fiber. The traditional fique rug is a knotted braided weave in one of fique’s natural shades. We partnered with a family of 4 artisans to work on new patterns and color combinations to design new rugs that were pushing the boundaries of conventional fique rugs.
Our next step in our sustainability efforts with fique rugs is experimenting with natural dyes. 75% of our rugs are un-dyed showcasing the natural shades of fique. The few colors we do use are currently not natural dyes. Artisans in the regio have not experimented with natural dyes and fiber enough to know what are the possibilities of obtaining color with only plant-based dyes. One of our goals for the next year is to try different natural dyes with fique fiber and offer rugs that are 100% naturally dyed.
Zuahaza’s Curiti Fique Area Rug
Zuahaza’s Curiti Fique Runner Rug
Close up of the braided technique
Zuahaza’s Curiti Small Rug
BENEFITS OF FIQUE RUGS
Apart from being an incredible sustainable option for those wanting to replace acrylic and synthetic rugs from your homes, fique rugs are also low maintenance, long lasting and ideal for all seasons. In difference with wool or cotton rugs that tend to bring more warmth into homes for the winter months, fique is a fiber that is ideal for all seasons. It keeps you cool in the summer and it works perfectly outside as well as inside. For the winter months is not the warmest option although it works perfectly if you already have carpeted flooring, crating an ideal surface to layer up your living room.
We say it is low maintenance because it IS! As supposed to more delicate fibers like cotton and wool, fique is very easy to care for. It does not collect as much dust as other fibers, is easy to clean given that it does not absorb liquids as fast as cotton and wool. Although you should avoid it staying wet for longer periods as it will start rotting given that is a natural fiber.
HOW TO PROPERLY CARE FOR FIQUE PRODUCTS
Caring for fique products is extremely easy. The most important rule is to avoid water or moisture to be absorbed as the natural fiber will eventually mold. In the case of liquid spills, use a damp cloth and absorb as much of the liquid as possible. if the rug was soaked in liquid, after absorbing as much of the liquid hang outiside or in an airy place to dry out. You can directly vacuum to collect dust. Avoid direct sunlight for extended periods of time and that is it!
Interested in exploring our new collaboration of fique rugs? You can find 3 different sizes of rugs: area, runner and small entry. Each one is also available for customized measurements if the standard sizes don’t work for your space. Our hope is that we can continue to support the incredible tradition of fique weaving because we not only believe is worth preserving culturally, but is such a great sustainable option for those looking to go green with their rugs at home.