We are totally in love with these gorgeous linens and inspired by El Camino de Los Altos! We found these beautiful shawls and table cloths at our friend Anna’s store, Mixta, in San Miguel de Allende and were immediately enchanted. We were struck by the sophisticated color combinations married with the traditional weaving techniques from the Chiapas region of Mexico. All of these textiles are woven by hand on a back strap loom, seen below.
[Founder Veronique Tasseraud, left, with Veronique C. working on color palettes. Photo via here.]
El Camino was started by French textile designer and longtime resident of Mexico, Vernique Tasseraud. She gathered together 7 other textile designers and over 100 Mayan weavers from the mountains of Chiapas into the weaving cooperative El Camino de Los Altos, located in San Cristobal de Las Casas. The center provides learning opportunities for the weavers with sewing machines and computers where they are able to work with textile design software. There are even dormitories to house the women who travel to the center.
The cooperative has set forth to preserve the ancestral art of weaving for the women and to improve their living conditions. The textile designers work hand in hand, even living with the weavers, to understand their intricate techniques. Each weaver has their own heritage and visual language from their specific village that they use in the creation of these beautiful textiles. The weavers and designers work hard to establish a color palette in which the the weaver can be free to find color combinations that suit her unique designs.
Veronique and her team are also charged with teaching the public to appreciate the weavings as pieces of art and not just a handicraft. El Camino de Los Altos has married the design sensibility of the French textile designers with the charm and tradition of the Mayan weavers and created a beautiful product. We hand selected some fabulous pillows for you! Check out TREAT, a curated collection of housewares and fun finds.
