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Shop sustainable for everyone on your list with Awamaki's gift guide!
With picturesque landscapes and a vibrant array of cultural traditions, Peru is a destination that keeps you moving from one incredible vista to the next. We believe in the importance of empowering rural Peruvian women and their communities through responsible travel. This is why we work with responsible travel agencies...
Written by Volunteer Photographer Doriana Westerman during her visit last November 2019. All Images taken by her. The air smells sweet. There’s definitely a hint of mint but it’s more complex than that. It’s a vivid smell that you might only have here in this particular place. Herbs and...
Each year, when it comes time to begin working on our next line here at Awamaki, we work to develop a concept that incorporates vital Andean cultural ideas with modern silhouettes. This past year, we focused on the idea of Kay Pacha, “the here and now.” Now, we are excited...
Felicitas comes trekking up the hill, her manta woven of the brightest yarn, and her montera covered in sequins and flowers glistening in the sun. Confident, and with a broad smile she approaches me, reaches out her hand to take mine before I’m even aware she knows who I am....
If you’re anything like me, you love to pack. If you’re not like me and you have no idea how to pack, especially for Peru, then I’m here to help. As someone who has traveled frequently and for extended periods of time in very different climates with only a backpack,...
Cover Photo: This is the view of the back side of the terraces from the descending Puma Marca Trail. By Briley Hebner, Marketing and Communications Intern With little to no directions on how to find the start of the hike, Anna, another volunteer, and I set off heading north to...
By Ashley Wade, Marketing and Communications Intern Virginia (pronounced veer-HEEN-ee-ya) is the leader of her cooperative located in Huilloc Bajo, which participates in Awamaki’s sustainable tourism program. She learned to weave when she was 10 years old, and she has been weaving almost every day since. “My mom and my...
For this blog, we wanted to share a recent interview we did with our head Designer, Alejandra Carrillo-Muñoz. She has been working with us for 3 years and it has been through this long term relationship that we have been able to see a great expansion in our collections. But...
What is an Awamaki Media and Communications Workshop Like? By Sarah Crable, Marketing and Communications Intern After about two and a half hours of driving through the mountains, past herds of alpacas and stunning views of Apu Veronica, we came into a valley dotted with red roofs. As we (four...
Our Compañera: HerminiaBy Brianna Griesinger, Marketing and Communications Coordinator and Allegra Bundy, Marketing and Communications Intern Herminia is an artisans from our spinning cooperative of Qusi Qoyllor in the community of Huilloc. At 31-years-old, she is part of a majority of our partner artisans who have completed primary school but...
Travel TipsBy Leighton Katz, Marketing and Communications Intern Photos By Emily Radek, Marketing and Communications InternAcclaimed travel writer Paul Theroux published a list of 10 essential tips for every traveler. Whether you’re on a beach vacation or living in a foreign country, these tips are useful and ensure that every...
#EveryStitchaStory: Global Giving Bonus DayBy Helen Johnston, Marketing and Communications Intern From the wool of Peruvian alpacas to the handbag over your shoulder, do you ever wonder how we go from traditional textiles to favorite accessories? Exquisite weavings done by artisans like Gregoria (you can learn more about her here)...
Crafting New ConnectionsBy Veronica Levy, Marketing and Communications Coordinator As an indigenous artisan in the Cusco region, the farther you live from Machu Picchu and the city of Cusco, the fewer economic opportunities you have. Until 2019, the furthest cooperative with which we worked was in the village of Kelkanka,...
By: Emily Radek, Marketing and Communication Intern Ascending into the mountains, about 4,000 feet higher in altitude than Ollantaytambo, you reach Huilloc-Alto. The drive is long enough to sit and enjoy the views from the car window. Once you reach Huilloc, a twisty road continues farther up the steep mountain...
Our Compañera: GregoriaBy Allegra Bundy, Marketing and Communications Intern As I greet Gregoria in her community of Huilloc Bajo, the air is filled with music from the surrounding Carnival celebrations. These have been going on for a few weeks now and the traditional Andean sounds resonate throughout the whole valley....
