BEHIND THE BRAND

Hello,

my name is Sina. Last year I was lucky enough to call Colombia my home.

I got to discover the beauty and diversity of the people and the country first hand.

With COLORITA I would like to bring a small piece of the Colombian lifestyle, their levity, hospitality, benevolence and individualism back to you.

Simultaneously COLORITA supports the strong and inspiring women of the northern dessert region of Colombia (La Guarjira): The Wayuu.

Become a part of the COLORITA family and enrich your life with the strength and individuality of the La Guajira women – with our high quality and individual products from our responsible and fair creation.

Your

BEHIND THE PRODUCTS

WAYUU

Our products are created by the strong and inspiring women of the Wayuu. The Wayuu community is one of the ethnic groups from the Arawak indigenous folk. They live in the dessert region in northern Colombia: La Guajira.
Because of the natural dessert conditions and limited governmental support, the Wayuu are threatened through lack of clean drinking water, lack of access to medical treatment and high child mortality rates. In many areas of La Guajira there is no flowing water in the Rancherias (small village communities with simple wooden shacks). Despite all these challenges the Wayuu are incredibly hospitable and have an unbelievably positive aura. These women have inspired me in three key ways:

1. Happiness without material Possession

While visiting the Rancherias we discovered just how hard the lives of the Wayuu are. Despite all their challenges they remain positive, they embody energy, strength and vibrance. Material possession is of little consequence in their lives. Much more important is the family connection and living in harmony with their surroundings. The Wayuu have an unbelievably positive aura, they are authentic, and grateful for what they have. They don´t brood over what is missing in their lives but reflect on the gifts that have been bestowed upon them.

We can learn a lot about what is truly important in life and find peace and happiness in the simple pleasures of the human experience.

2. Wonderful craftsmanship
The women of the Wayuu are creative and pass on their values and traditions to the next generation of sisters and daughters. They also pass on their unique craftsmanship to the next generation with the creation of the Mochilas (South American name for the Coloritas). A Mochila is something like a diary to the Wayuu. While we use pen and pad, they use needle and thread. With each bag they bring their own individual ´I´ into the world and express their personality, sense of self and character through the patterns and colors.

3. Modern strong women
Through their individual craftsmanship the Wayuu women become a strong part of their community. They have a very high standing in the social structure of the community and are responsible for passing along the community´s values and traditions to the future of the Wayuu. Further, they supply for their families through the creation of the Mochilas and ensure that their ways will continue despite the harshest of realities.

All of this is reflected in their handcrafted bags. Each bag is one of a kind and tells the unique story of a strong woman.

THE PRODUCTS

ETHICAL HANDMADE FASHION

DESIGN.
Each Colorita tells the story of the woman who created it through it´s colors and style. The individual elements of each bag reflect the values and lifestyle of the woman who created it. These bags are a further reflection of these women´s surroundings and their day to day events. Each Colorita is a one of a kind personal artistic expression of the weaver´s passion and interests.

HANDMADE.
Every Colorita is made 100% by hand – in the traditional craftsmanship typical of the women from La Guarjira, Colombia, the Wayuu. Each bag requires roughly 30 days to complete, as the women with loving and painstaking detail weave every tread individually.

UNIQUE.
Every Colorita is a one of a kind work of art, reflecting the individualism their creator through personalized colors and patterns. Your weaver will carefully select the appropriate floor (plato), strap (gazas) and body of your bag, as well as the best weaving technique. This freedom of choice is necessary to maintain the freedom and creativity of these strong women. This also ensures that nobody will ever have your identically personalized COLORITA! This bag will be truly yours and yours alone! – Be one of a kind! –

FAIR.
COLORITA supports the artistry of the women and ensures that their craftsmanship and culture thrive in the future. These women receive their going wage 4 times over, as we avoid middle men and compensate the women directly. This is how you can help ensure that this exceptional craftsmanship and way of life continues to be passed on from mother to daughter for many generations to come.

PREMIUM.
As we develop our products we work very closely with our foundation and the Wayuu themselves. Our personal and intimate contact with the artists enables us to know exactly which weaver your one of kind bag was created by. Your bag will even bare the name of its creator. These close relationships allow us to ensure artistic creativity and the finest quality for your COLORITA. We want to offer beautiful high-quality products that remain true to their artists.

THE BRAND

DESIGN. HANDMADE. UNIQUE.

FAIR. PREMIUM.

EMPOWERING COLOMBIAN WOMEN