Weavers of Teotitlán del Valle

We began our journey to Teotitlán with a plane ride to Mexico City. From there, a 7 hour bus ride to Oaxaca and an hour long drive through rolling agave fields, and we had reached our destination. Nestled in the valley, this small town prides itself on an age-old tradition of producing textiles of all kinds. For thousands of years, the men, women, and children of this community have come together to contribute in various stages of production.

We hopped off the back of the truck and quickly dodged the dust that began to settle from our drive into the town. Heading to meet the leader of the cooperative we partner with, Pastora, who works in partnership with her sister, we walked into their workshop, a maze of hanging textiles and colored wools. Greeted warmly, a few of the women from the cooperative sat down at the looms to show us how they begin to weave the rugs.  Pastora explained the origins of their group, made up solely of women, which formed after their husbands had passed away or left the country.

Even though these women have been skilled in this craft for many years, the challenge of taking on our new designs from a drawing to completion, rightfully displays the unparalleled skills they posses. The most incredible thing to witness was their passion, tenacity and dedication to the highest quality of product. Each rug is unique as the dye is made from natural products and raw materials to color the wool, and then taken to be spun into yarn. With that the women sit at a large loom and weave the complimentary colors into intricate patterns. It is no doubt in each of these rugs, cultural traditions and personal dreams have been woven into each one.