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Sustainable, Ethical & Handcrafted Organic Cotton Textiles by Zuahaza
Hello, loves, and welcome back to the blog! Today we are honoured to feature the handcrafted & organic textiles from the women of Zuahaza.
As you all know, I am such a big supporter of sustainable and ethical brands from fashion to home decor. I am beyond thrilled to share this company with you all today.
ORGANIC COTTON TEXTILES HANDMADE IN COLOMBIA
ZUAHAZA honours the makers, culture and craft.
Collective Sisterhood.
Social Enterprise.
Always ethical and sustainable.
In today’s sustainable home goods highlight, we are going to break down everything that makes Zuahaza one of our absolute favourites. We will chat about sustainability, production, faces behind the brand, and ethics.
Let’s get educated on the Ethical & Sustainable textiles by Zuahaza!
A Brief Overlook of Zuahaza
Handmade: The organic cotton textiles by Zuahaza tell a story of Colombia through thoughtful craftsmanship. Many of us adore slow fashion, and this practice is also brilliant in home goods. The quality, style, and love put forth towards each item is unlike any other.
Sustainable: Zuahaza respects Earth and her resources with the highest regard. Organic materials and processes are only the base of this company. We have watched in their stories and highlights all of the fantastic ways they are using nature to dye their fabrics – it’s truly inspirational.
Social Enterprise: As a social enterprise, Zuahaza strives to embody a sisterhood between the women in Colombia. Zuahaza translates to “my sister” in the Muisca language of the Cundiboyacense people.
Women supporting Women: Zuahaza strives to connect women from across Colombia. The goal is to create unique products that reflect the Columbian culture, history and craftsmanship. The bond between the workers and their crafts is evident in the high quality.
Fair Trade and Fair Wage: The folks behind Zuahaza go beyond fair trade and fair wages by supporting the dreams of each and every team member.
Responsible: Zuahaza assumes responsibility for the environment and those living within. Choosing to work with organic and biodegradable materials saves water and eliminates the harsh chemicals in the soil.
Zuahaza Founder: Tatiana
Tatiana is the founder of Zuahaza as well as the head designer. She has a lot of experience in the artisan field throughout Latin America and also a background in textiles from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
Natural dyes and organic fibres are a big part of Tatiana’s advocacy for sustainable production. Having Colombian roots herself, Tatiana holds so much admiration for the indigenous artisans and her favourite part of her job is the interchange of knowledge with her artisans.
Organic Cotton Textiles by Zuahaza
Shopping on the Zuahaza website is such a breeze. The artisans work together to create one focal collection (slowly and sustainably) and this collection will be featured for quite a long time. Their first ever collection is called the “Roots” collection and this is what is featured in our blog post today.
Organic Cotton Textiles by Zuahaza
When browsing through the website, you will notice the minimalistic menu that features some of our favourite topics: Approach, Artisans, Values, Process, and Materials. I have said this before and I’ll say it again, companies can never give too much information when it comes to who makes your products, where, why, and how. These are key points of information that allow consumers to make conscious decisions.
How does Tatiana & ZUAHAZA stay committed to their values?
With the help of 7 beautiful and talented women….the artisans.
One of the first things that I noticed about Tatiana and her company was the love she held for her artisans. We began working together at the beginning of the Covid-19 spread and I was blown away at her dedication to helping her artisans make it through the hard times. It has truly been an honour to witness the love shared here.
(Left to right in order!)
- Mariá: Mariá has been a part of the cooperative for 4 years and is a very talented seamstress. She is thrilled to have a job that she loves and also provide for her family.
- Ana: Ana has been a part of the cooperative for 24 years and is a master weaver and teacher. She is a big believer in preserving ancestral techniques.
- Graciela: Graciela has been a part of the cooperative for 20 years. She is the administrative head of the co-op as well as sewer and designer. Graciela believes it is very important to teach the history of her ancestors to new generations as a way of preserving the columbian heritage.
Tatiana is in the middle!
- Martha: Martha is the youngest of the group and has been in the cooperative for 2 years as a weaver. Her skills are far beyond her years! She holds so much love and respect for the artisanal work.
- Otilia: Otilia has been a part of the cooperative for 8 years. She is an administrative secretary as well as a weaver. She loves to carry on the traditions of her people.
- Esther: Esther has been an artisan for over 20 years and is a wonderful weaver and spinner. She truly stands behinds this company and believes that the artisan cooperative has rescued the traditions of the Guane culture.
- Inés (not shown in photo): Inés has been a part of the cooperative for 18 years and is an incredible weaver and spinner. For her, working in the cooperative as an artisan means participating in changing her community, in preserving their cultural heritage, and believing in economic stability for both men and women.
Organic Cotton Textiles by Zuahaza: Values & Philosophy
To create sustainable employment for women artisans in Colombia by revitalizing the craft of making textiles and collaborating to innovate in product and design
Equality of Opinion
Zuahaza is all about collaboration and equality of opinion from start to finish in the design and production process. The dreams, careers, and families of each and every artisan is valued. The folks behind Zuahaza truly believe that each artisan has the vision and skills to participate in the important decision making. Everything is done as a team.
“Collaboration is truly the soul of Zuahaza, as we come and work together as Colombian sisters to create unique sustainable treasures for your home.”
— TATIANA ORDOÑEZ
Honouring the Craft
It has become harder and harder for artisans like those in the Zuahaza team to earn enough money to support themselves and their family. This company wants to change this. These artisans deserve to be recognised and highly respected for the magnificent work that they do. Zuahaza believes in elevating the craftsmen to a much more dignified person in society. I love this!
Waste Happens but Zuahaza is dedicated to reducing and up-cycling as much as possible.
As with every production, waste happens. Even though Zuahaza is dedicated to using 100% organic and natural materials, a bit of waste is produced. To counteract this waste, the artisans create small one of a kind pieces made from scraps to sell such as small purses and bags. They are truly dedicated to become a zero waste production company in the near future and it has been a joy to watch. You can watch along with us on their instagram stories here.
Here are a few of my favourites from the New Collection:
Striped Guayaba Pink Pillow: 100% organic cotton | 100% naturally dyed | 18”x18” |
Small Naidi Blue & Guayaba Pink Throw: 100% organic cotton | 100% naturally dyed | 40”x60” |
Diamond Naidi Blue Table Runner: 100% organic cotton | 100% naturally dyed | 40”x60” |
As a sustainable & ethical researcher and consumer, I cannot express how excited I was to work with Tatiana and the Zuahaza team to share their products with you all. These pieces of art are decorating our bedroom and living room and they are an absolute dream. Super soft, nice and thick material, the absolute highest quality, and beautiful design of these pillows have transformed our rooms into relaxing havens. I am so exited to see the next collection!
**Thank you to Tatiana and the amazing artisans for gifting us the amazing pillows featured in our blog post and social media posts. This collaboration is definitely not over – we will have these pillows for life and they will be present in so many family photos and future work.
Chat with you all soon!
