Artisan Crafted Handbags
Each Mercado collection starts with a journey to the highlands of Guatemala, where talented indigenous women artisans develop unique creations.
The process of weaving in Guatemala dates back centuries and has been passed down by women from generation to generation. The skilled hands of the Mayans have been weaving for over 2,000 years and to this day, traditional methods are still used. Traditional weaving has remained symbolic to our partner artisans because of its Mayan heritage and the value it holds to the weaver.
Our partner artisans weave using two traditional methods: the traditional backstrap loom or the foot loom.
The backstrap loom is made of 5 essential sticks with one end typically tied to a tree, creating tension by tying the other end around weaver's waist.
In the 15th century, the foot loom was introduced to increase skills and greater production capacity among artisans.
