From handwoven blankets naturally dyed with Peruvian flora, to the sweetest stuffed animals made from baby alpaca wool, every item in this collection is beautifully crafted by our talented artisan partners in Peru.
This collection is a particularly special one, because Johanna stumbled across this weaving collective while on her honeymoon! Read on to learn about how Johanna discovered our artisan partners in Peru, and how our partnership has helped buoy them in the midst of trying times.
From Johanna
Our new Peru Collection is particularly close to my heart, and I wanted to give you a little glimpse into how it came to be.
While on our honeymoon, my husband and I visited Chincero, the center of weaving in Peru. We found a weaver’s collective with a few cute Alpacas munching on grass out front. We met Roxana, who manages the collective with her sister, and she gave us a demonstration of how the different dyes are made out of a variety of vegetables, plants, and bugs. We selected our favorite patterns and colors for our new baby alpaca blankets and scarves and told Roxana we would reach out to place a large order at a later date.
Shortly afterward, the pandemic happened, and the weaving collective had to shut down due to safety and lack of tourism. This was Roxana’s sole source of income, and right as she lost this, she found out she was pregnant. We're so grateful that we were able to place our large order right when she needed it most, helping feed her family and helping the small weaving community as a whole while they wait for the world to go back to normal.
Being able to support such incredible makers around the world is one of our core values here at Saffron + Poe, but it's especially important to us in times like this, when the world feels extra big and a bit overwhelming. So know that when you shop the Peru Collection, you're genuinely making a difference – you're helping real people across the globe (like Roxana!) continue to hone their craft, support their families, and take care of themselves, too.
We are hoping these pieces are popular so we can place another order with Roxana and help her community even more. But for now, pop over to our Mill Valley shop, or shop with us online, to support our sweet artisan partners in Peru.
From left to right, Carl, Roxana and Johanna.