Alpaca Blend Infinity Scarf in Mint and Cyan from Peru, "Oceanic Style"

"I was born in 1983 in the beautiful province of Huancayo, a wonderful place for a peaceful life amid nature.

"I'm a friendly and enterprising person and am always caring for others. I love animals and respect them, as I believe that human beings can learn something new every day from these beautiful living creatures.

"From a young age, my parents taught me to love and to help others, so I worked as a volunteer in campaigns taking aid to towns in isolated areas of Huancayo. From a young age, I witnessed the lack of resources, and the needs of so many people who were talented artisans but who didn't have the opportunity to market their work. This motivated me greatly and I eventually took a job where I was in constant contact with the seamstresses, designers and everyone related to textiles.

"Several years later, I began to work for a company that was directly related with fair trade, and I became even more involved with arts and crafts. I began to apply what I had learned about textiles. Although it took a lot of effort, I felt excited and also afraid, I decided to work for myself.

"My greatest satisfaction is being able to preserve Peru's traditional and ancestral techniques like weaving on the handloom, knitting and crocheting, among other textile arts. In this way, I can help the families who bring my designs to life and do something to alleviate their poverty. I feel proud and happy to share our culture through my fashion accessories.

"I think one of my toughest challenges in life has been to adapt to different cultures and launch my projects in the places I've lived. When I was still quite young, I had to leave my beloved Peruvian town. My most difficult experience was moving to the United States, where I fell in love and married the man I will love all my life.

"Before I left Peru, I had a project of my own in which I worked in textiles with several groups of people. Moving meant not only leaving my family but also walking away from my project — my seamstresses and tailors, my collaborators… everyone! "When I moved, I had to face many cultural changes. It took a while to process my documents but, in the end, it all worked out. Together, my husband and I were able to work preserving my roots from my Andean homeland and the textile techniques used by generations.

"Despite the many limitations I faced, I decided to take on a new challenge, even though I didn't understand much of the language. But with my husband, we created this lovely opportunity to promote our ancestral handcrafted textiles, to preserve these arts and provide work for people who need it most.

"I learned everything I know thanks to constant contact with designers for so many years. This is how I learned to combine colors, designs and fashion trends. Regarding the techniques we use in our work, I traveled through many rural areas of Peru and spent time with artisans to become familiar with their techniques, and be able to combine them in our designs.

"My inspiration is the result of all I've learned from the artisans about colors, textures, patterns and methods. I apply this knowledge to today's fashion trends. I design accessories that can be used with what people are wearing. Much of my inspiration comes from observing flowers, trees and nature, and their textures fascinate me. I couldn't be the same person if I worked at anything else.

"It hasn't been easy to develop in this field. It's taken emotional strength and I've had to be positive, especially when things didn't go the way I hoped they would. We work with many artisans who never finished school and we often have to be patient with one another. There always are difficulties but the best way to overcome them is by focusing on the solution and not the problem.

"My plans for the future are to make this endeavor grow and to position our designs internationally so we can continue helping the families who collaborate with us and make this project sustainable. I hope we can create a better consciousness for protecting our environment and preserving it instead of destroying it.

"My dream is that one day there won't be so much cruelty among people, between people and animals and between people and nature."