TRAVEL + ARTISANS + CULTURE + ART
Recently our team has been out and about traveling throughout Morocco and Cuba.
First stop, Morocco.
After a not so restful overnight flight, I walked off the plane and into the busy Moroccan city of Casablanca with a group of National Geographic travelers. I always love traveling with my Nat Geo groups because each person has chosen to be in this beautiful country to dive deep, get their hands dirty and learn as much as they can in a short time!
True to my nature, I was ready to get out of the big city and up into the mountains after the first day. While exploring the coast, desert, forest, and High Atlas mountains of Morocco, I learned from artisans about the rich culture and ancient artisan traditions. Down dusty mountain roads and tucked inside mud brick homes on the hillside, I spied women artisans at work on their looms with brightly colored natural fibers.
Just as in Guatemala, textiles and artisan craft in Morocco are inspired by the natural resources available to people and are representative of culture, tradition, and environment. Local plants and vegetables are used to naturally dye a variety of natural fiber: cactus silk, sheep wool, camel wool and more. Despite a small obsession over textiles, we were happily distracted by amazingly intricate ceramic art and mosaics, horribly smelly tanneries, shiny copper and, of course, the knotted and kilim carpets. Morocco is a paradise of artisan techniques and traditions, of textures, colors, and designs. I see something new on each trip.
Living Threads Co. founder Amanda Zehner in the High Atlas, Morocco.
Next stop, Cuba.
In Cuba we were inspired by the music, art and dance. With a unique glimpse into a country and its people, my visit felt like a walk back in time. From drumming to jazz, Buena Vista Social Club to oil paints, mosaics, politics and health care, a complicated history has contributed to innovation, creativity and personal expression that is visible around every corner in Cuba today.
Through our travels, we are continuously learning from and inspired by the people and places we are privileged to visit. The culture and art of each new place contribute to our uniquely inspired products and reinforoce the importance of our mission at Living Threads Co. to preserve artisan traditions and improve livelihoods.
Stay tuned...
Our new summer collection is being photographed and will be up on our website soon!
This week, our collaborative designs with our partner artisans in Guatemala and Nicaragua are coming to life for our fall and winter collections!
We are excited to announce that we will be back at NY Now this August building relationships with partner retailers and looking for new ways to grow our impact on small scale artisans around the globe!
Founder Amanda with partner artisans in Nicaragua working on new designs and finishing techniques.