Materials + SOurcing
What We’re Made Of
Organic Cotton
Why ORGANIC COTTON?
In conventional cotton production it can take almost 10,000 liters of water to produce only 1 kg of cotton fiber. The use of pesticides are extremely damaging for the soil long term, and they contaminate local water sources which end up harming the farming community. Organic cotton on the other hand, uses 71% less water and 62% less energy, saving huge amounts of natural resources while keeping the soil healthy allowing it to regenerate.
Colombia
In the region of Santander, organic cotton farming goes back to the Guane indigenous people that lived in this land. The Guane people were experts in harvesting their local cotton, and in making woven goods which they commercialized with other ethnic groups.
With the Spanish conquest and later the industrial revolution, the importation of foreign cotton fabrics at a low cost, caused the production of organic cotton in Santander to almost disappear. Today we see a revitalized region eager to return to growing organic cotton the way their ancestors had done it previously.
—
Peru
Zuahaza is in the process of revitalizing the techniques of organic textile making in Colombia. However, it will take time to fully arrive to our goal of making 100% Colombian naturally dyed cotton products. Peruvian artisans have been worldly renowned to have mastered the artisanal techniques of weaving and dyeing.
Therefore, we have partnered with Aslli, an experienced yarn company in Lima working with an incredible group of artisans to naturally-dye organic cotton in unique colors to make our collections more special.
Our goal is to support the local farms of Colombia and strengthen its organic cotton production to make products that are 100% made from local resources.
Natural Dyes
Why NATURAL DYE?
Plants, fruits and vegetables are able to give us an array of beautiful color choices to dye our fibers. However, with the invention of synthetic dyes, the entire textile industry has relied heavily on petroleum-base substances to dye our fibers, contaminating our water sources, soils and affecting the health of the people who directly interact with these dyes. Natural dyes on the other hand, are biodegradable and cause minimal environmental impact when used with safe mordants.
dyeing
Natural Dyes
We get our beautiful colors through collecting and extracting colors from plants and vegetables. This is also an ancient practice, and the way everything was dyed in the past!
Our artisans have mastered natural dyeing recipes from their ancestors to not only create beautiful colors, but to make sure our products are also color fast, which means that they hold their color.
Fique Fiber
WHY FIQUE?
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. 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 fique products such as rugs and 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.
The Sustainable Colombian Fiber
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.
Fique is also a chemical-free fiber, meaning it does not need pesticides since it 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.
If you want to learn more about this fasicnating fiber we invite you to read our more here in our journal post.
Wool
WHY WOOL?
In the andeadn region of Colombia, exists a diversity of climates and traditions. In the high altitude mountains of the departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca the tradition of spinning wool, dyeing it and weaving it still persists. These artisans have carried generations of knowledge to be the carers of sheep and keep the artisanal process of making garments, cloth and home items our of the fibers of these precious animals. At Zuahaza, we support the preservation of traditional crafts, of local fibers and traditions that speak of our heritage and culture. This way we believe we can advocate for less use of synthetic materials and industrial processes. Wool is also a fantastic fiber for the cooler months of the year. When dyeing it, colors turn our brighter and stronger than cotton or linen. Is a lovely natural fiber we love to add to our selection of natural and local fibers.
Andean Wool
The tradition of working with animal fiber such as wool spans from the colonial times when sheep was brough to the colder regions of Cundinamarca and Boyaca. Its fiber quickly became popular for its ability to keep warm in these higher altitude regions. The artisans of Sutatausa, a small village have been preserving the quality, the craftsmanship and the economy from shearing sheep, spinning the wool, dyeing and weaving.
Hand-painted Ceramics
Why earthenware?
Carmen de Viboral is a town from the department of Antioquia where Hand-painted earthenware ceramics are traditional since the late 1800s. This region has an abundance of natural clays that made perfect for ceramic items. Hand-painted techniques have been passed from generations to make intricate beautiful designs that have been recognized all across Colombia. We celebrate the incredible effort this region has made to keep making hand-painted natural ceramics in a country so full of imported goods.
Carmen del Viboral
This traditional hand-painted ceramic pieces are so unique because of their resilient history. The tradition of making and painting ceramics started as a business idea for the region knowing it has good access to water and natural clay sources. Many people started to train to learn to make the ceramics by hand and soon it became a very well-known item for Colombian homes all the way into the late 1980s. The demand for their cermics was so high that the local government opened schools to train more people to make these ceramics.
With time, they innovated in design, learning to hand-paint intricate designs, the majority of them inspired in Colombian nature. Today these ceramics are considered patrimony of the nation and have become an incredible example of a local economy thriving in the region and preserving hand-made techniques.
HANDMADE // HECHO A MANO
Shop Collections
